The financing of an Antarctic Expedition of the Heroic Era

There is much written by and about Antarctic expeditions. This includes a number of diaries, both published and unpublished, of men from these voyages and times. Their correspondence home, with sponsors, governments, suppliers and each other, all combine to tell the story of their struggles. These struggles were not only for their survival on the Antarctic continent, but even before that; struggles to obtain sufficient funding in order to even arrive there at all. After all, "Finance, or rather the lack of finance, is the most burdensome problem to beset any Antarctic expedition" (Helm & Miller, 1964, p.56). This paper, is a review and discussion Of several published records of the era, the men and the expeditions. The activities of the expeditions of discovery and adventure are largely ignored. This paper explores the role of money and more particularly financing, including non-cash donations, in these expeditions and its effect on the men, and the outcomes of the expeditions. There is much written by and about Antarctic expeditions. This includes a number of diaries, both published and unpublished, of men from these voyages and times. Their correspondence home, with sponsors, governments, suppliers and each other, all combine to tell the story of their struggles. These struggles were not only for their survival on the Antarctic continent, but even before that; struggles to obtain sufficient funding in order to even arrive there at all. After all, "Finance, or rather the lack of finance, is the most burdensome problem to beset any Antarctic expedition" (Helm & Miller, 1964, p.56). This paper, is a review and discussion Of several published records of the era, the men and the expeditions. The activities of the expeditions of discovery and adventure are largely ignored. This paper explores the role of money and more particularly financing, including non-cash donations, in these expeditions and its effect on the men, and the outcomes of the expeditions