Today, thanks to webcams and Google maps, anyone with an internet connection can be an explorer. Race to the End of the Earth at the AMNH reminds us that exploration was once a far more difficult and dangerous endeavor.
In 1910, Robert Scott, of England, and Roald Amundsen, of Norway, sailed to Antarctica. But only one team could be first at the South Pole. We won't ruin it for you, and the exhibition manages to maintain the suspense by styling explanatory text as if it were appearing in a newspaper (Amundsen arrives! With dogs!). Dioramas re-create outfits and living conditions, but the carefully preserved artifacts --- including goggles, pocket watches, and even a magazine published on-site by Scott's men --- are the best part. Of course, they testify to a time before Gortex and GPS, but they also make something unimaginable tangible, much like the explorers themselves set out to do.
Photo: thanks
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