Cold snaps

Images from Nansen’s polar expedition of 1893-96 remain influential for scientists, explorers and photographers today. A new book showcasing them all is a fascinating read. Author Geir O Kløver tells Amy Davies all about it

Although he might not be quite so well-known here in Britain as later polar explorers such as Captain Scott and his rival Amundsen, Nansen’s is a legacy which continues to fascinate those who are interested in polar exploration. Indeed, in his home country, he was once voted the most important Norwegian of the 20th century.

Nansen’s Fram Expedition took place between 1893 and 1896, and while on board, Nansen and his crew took hundreds of photos, with a variety of different cameras, lenses and associated equipment including glass plates. In the new book The Nansen Photographs, author Geir O Kløver goes into excellent detail about this equipment, and how it came to be donated to the expedition from an English businessman, Charles A Dick. It’s known that the men had at least five cameras, including an Eastman No 4 Kodak Junior, two Frena cameras and a Dallmeyer.

Kløver has been working with the original source material for over 15 years. He is the director of the Fram Museum in Oslo, and has authored, co-authored and edited several books on polar expeditions. His work to modernise the Fram museum – which houses the original ship – was honoured with a prestigious THEA Award for Outstanding Achievement in 2020.