MEDIA RESOURCES

DATE: January 28, 2005

CONTACT: communications@mail.cox.smu.edu

EXHIBIT MAKES FINAL WORLD STOP AT DALLAS MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition

Sets Sail January 29 - May 1

Haunting expedition photographs, diary entries, and vintage film footage resurrect one of the most awesome man-against-nature sagas to emerge in the last century.

"The Cox School puts more emphasis on teaching leadership than any other business school in America," said Albert W. Niemi, Jr., Dean of SMU Cox School of Business. "We immediately recognized the educational value of this exhibit and seized the opportunity to bring Shackleton to our students and to the community, as Shackleton's episode is one of the greatest examples of leadership in history."

The exhibition presents more than 150 compelling photographs of the expedition's ordeal taken by ship photographer Frank Hurley, who dove into frigid waters to retrieve his glass plate negatives from the sinking Endurance. The photographs, printed from the original negatives and Hurley's album of prints, are displayed chronologically and accompanied by gripping memoirs from the voyage. The visual record is complemented by incredible film footage, rare color images, and a full-scale replica of the James Caird, the lifeboat that carried Shackleton and five of his crew on one of the greatest adventures of all time. The exhibition presents more than 150 compelling photographs of the expedition's ordeal taken by ship photographer Frank Hurley, who dove into frigid waters to retrieve his glass plate negatives from the sinking Endurance. The photographs, printed from the original negatives and Hurley's album of prints, are displayed chronologically and accompanied by gripping memoirs from the voyage. The visual record is complemented by incredible film footage, rare color images, and a full-scale replica of the James Caird, the lifeboat that carried Shackleton and five of his crew on one of the greatest adventures of all time.

The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition is the most comprehensive presentation of the journey ever mounted. It is also the most extensive showing of Hurley's work; limited numbers of his photographs have been on view twice in London since the 1920's, and once in Australia in 1963. The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition is the most comprehensive presentation of the journey ever mounted. It is also the most extensive showing of Hurley's work; limited numbers of his photographs have been on view twice in London since the 1920's, and once in Australia in 1963.

"We are thrilled to bring the community the most extensive presentation of this amazing voyage and human courage," said Nicole Small, CEO of Dallas Museum of Natural History. "As an institution that inspires minds through nature and science the Museum identifies with the exploration and discovery. Just as the Endurance expedition set out to study and understand the mysteries of Antarctica, we too journey to the far reaches of the globe, with our scientific research that intrigues curiosity about the natural world around us, and fulfilling the Museum's mission to educate the public with our findings.""We are thrilled to bring the community the most extensive presentation of this amazing voyage and human courage," said Nicole Small, CEO of Dallas Museum of Natural History. "As an institution that inspires minds through nature and science the Museum identifies with the exploration and discovery. Just as the Endurance expedition set out to study and understand the mysteries of Antarctica, we too journey to the far reaches of the globe, with our scientific research that intrigues curiosity about the natural world around us, and fulfilling the Museum's mission to educate the public with our findings.

Background on The Endurance Expedition

Sir Ernest Shackleton's third polar expedition came in the wake of the tragic death, in the Antarctic, of Robert Falcon Scott, the famous English explorer, and as Europe was preparing for the First World War. With England having lost both poles to the Norwegians, Shackleton was determined to be the first to cross the Antarctic by foot and claim the last prize in polar exploration for Britain. A week after the war began, Shackleton and his crew of twenty-seven seamen and scientists set sail on the Endurance, not to be heard from for nearly two years.

It was a particularly cold winter, and the pack ice of the Weddell Sea extended further north than anyone could remember. The Endurance began following leads to navigate through the pack ice, on route to its intended landfall. Just one day's sail from the Antarctic continent, temperatures plummeted and the ship became trapped. Frozen fast for ten months, the Endurance was about to be crushed by ice pressure, forcing Shackleton and his men to abandon ship.

Once on land, Shackleton and two of his men trekked across the mountains of South Georgia, finally reaching the island's remote whaling stations where they organized a rescue team, and returned to save all of the men left behind on Elephant Island.

Shackleton's words, written after the expedition, express the enormity and the extremity of the adventure: "Not a life lost, and we have been through Hell."

This exhibition was developed by the American Museum of Natural History with generous underwriting support from Mr. and Mrs. Joseph F. Cullman, 3rd. Images by Frank Hurley from the collections of The Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers and The Scott Polar Research Center and State Library of New South Wales.

Sponsors:

Other Sponsors:

Ewing & Partners and The City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs

Additional Funding by First Southwest

About the Museum:

The Dallas Museum of Natural History is located at 3535 Grand Avenue in historic Fair Park. The Museum is open 7 days a week daily, Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sundays 12 p.m.-5 p.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Admission to the Museum is: Adults - $7.00, Sr. Citizens (55+) - $6.50, Students (13-18) - $5.00, Children (3-12) - $4.00. Children under three are admitted free. Museum members are always admitted free.

The Dallas Museum of Natural History is a Smithsonian Institution affiliate and is funded in part by the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs and the Texas Commission on the Arts and is supported by the Microsoft Corporation and the Junior League of Dallas. American Airlines is the official airline of the Museum and The Dallas Morning News is the official sponsor. For more information, or for volunteer opportunities, call the Museum at (214) 421-DINO (3466), ext. 200 or visit the Museum's website at www.dallasdino.org.