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The fatal day, October 27th 1915
1915
Medium
gelatin silver photograph
Measurements
20.2 × 15.1 cm
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, 1977
Public domain
Gallery location
Not on display
About this work
The death of the sled dogs on Ernest Shackleton’s 1914–17 trans-Antarctic expedition was the source of much heartache for the crew aboard the ship Endurance. When the ship became trapped in ice just over a month into its journey, the survival of the expeditioners became dependent on conserving resources. This had tragic consequences for the much-loved dogs. ‘Owing to this shortage of food and the fact that we needed all that we could get for ourselves, I had to order all the dogs except two teams be shot,’ Shackelton wrote in his 1920 autobiography. ‘It was the worst job that we had throughout the expedition, and we felt their loss keenly.’
Artwork Details
Inscription
inscribed in grey ink on support l.c.l.: The Fatal Day Oct 27th 1915 / EH. Shackleton
Accession Number
PH95-1977
Department
Australian Photography
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of Daryl and Anne Whinney