tearing you asunder

Currently very much obsessed with a quote from this article. So I did a drawing of it! ⤵️

I am approaching the end of my Semester which means I have more time to draw! The more inspiration the better so if anyone has any ideas let me know.

Hello all!

After finishing the Gardiner transcriptions I got to thinking a lot about the other "Obervers" (as they were dubbed) on the expedition.

"The Observers" were four members of the expedition who exclusively carried out Scientific observations and readings.

They took thousands of readings including measuring temperatures, gravitational and tidal observations as well as deep sea readings and much more. They had support from other members but that often didn't take away from how intense carrying out these readings, sometimes for ages in the cold, could be.

I have had the chance to see some of these readings in the National Archives and I was quickly overwhelmed and amazed at the vast amount of them! Hundreds of thousands of lines of numbers and observations.

The four men drawn above (to the best of my ability) were "The Observers" they are as follows:

David C. Ralston: Born October 2nd, 1848, Died May 23rd, 1884. (Meteorological Assistant)

Hampden S. Gardiner: Born January 19th, 1858, Died June 12th, 1884. (Meteorological Assistant)

Winfield S. Jewell: Born September 20th, 1850, Died April 12th, 1884. (Meteorologist)

Edward Israel: Born July 1st, 1859, Died May 27th, 1884. (Astronomer)

None of the Scientific Observers survived the expedition, the last one, Gardiner, died just days before rescue. The scientific observations they carried out did however. Their work is some of the earliest detailed scientific observations done in the Arctic. It can help us identify the changes the arctic experiences due to climate change and help us form an action plan for what is to come.

This is really a basic summary of what they did and I hope to give a more in depth blog post soon!

If you want further information on these men or the sources used please reach out! I am happy to share!

I have been away for a bit due to some outside commitments but hope you are all well and having a splendid autumn.

I am excited to post a new transcription that I and the lovely @greelys-corner have been working on!

This transcription is of the diary of one of the members of the expedition, a young man named Sgt. Hampden Gardiner. He was born in Philadelphia in 1858 and joined the expedition in 1881 as a weather observer. He tragically died just before rescue in early June, 1884.

This transcription is in two parts,

The first part, done by @greelys-corner is of his official journal during his time at Conger.

The second part, done by me is of his smaller field journal after abandonment (with a few notes from beforehand included.)

The document is held in the Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM) History Office and they have both beautifully scanned the document and transcribed the first few months of his larger journal.

It’s a longer transcription (over 100 pages altogether) but entirely worth it to record the life of a young man and the various things he experienced in the Arctic, both the good and the horrible end.

I hope to post more soon, please feel free to reach out with any concerns, questions or corrections. I’m very happy to hear them.

I'm glad we can all agree on the immediate attraction

YEAH that's fine ok

he couldn't accept his death just like amundsen couldn't accept his friend was deceiving him and the rest of the world. they thought themselves immortal

I have been working on this project for a while but have been concerned about posting it until I figured out all of the copyright surrounding it.

Linked below is a full transcription of “The Arctic Moon” the newspaper kept by the 1881-1884 Lady Franklin Bay Polar Expedition. This has been a labour of love, passion and frankly a bit of anxiety over transcribing it to its full potential.

If you have the opportunity please take a look at it I would be so grateful. I hope you find it as interesting to read as I did to transcribe.

In each Issue I have included the full transcription, notes on the transcription and citations so you can do your own reading if interested.

I hope to post again soon with further research!

a. the Karluk

b. podcasts

c. listening to me yap

there’s going to come a day when I feel better

I’ll rise up free and easy on that day

and float from branch to branch, lighter than the air