Jackson-Harmsworth Expedition
Encyclopedia
The Jackson-Harmsworth Expedition to Franz Josef Land
, 1894–97, was led by British Arctic explorer Frederick George Jackson
and financed by newspaper proprietor Alfred Harmsworth. Jackson had been misled by false maps into believing that Franz Joseph Land was a land mass that extended to the North Pole
. The survey which was the main work of the expedition eventually proved that the land was in fact an archipelago
, whose northernmost island stretched no further than 81°N.
The expedition party consisted of Albert Armitage
, who made astronomical
, meteorological
and magnetic records, Reginald Koettlitz
(physician
and geologist
), J.F. Child (mineralogist
) and Harry Fisher (botanist and zoologist
), who in 1896 was replaced by William Spiers Bruce
, who with his sole companion Hjalmar Johansen
had been living on the ice since leaving the beset expedition ship Fram
on 14 March 1895. It was the purest chance that had brought Nansen and Johanssen to the Jackson-Harmsworth expedition camp.
On the basis of Nansen’s account of his journey Jackson seriously considered making a bid for the Pole himself, and began to build replicas of Nansen’s sledges and kayaks. However, the lack of skiing and ice travel experience within Jackson’s party meant that such plans were quickly aborted.
Franz Josef Land
Franz Josef Land, Franz Joseph Land, or Francis Joseph's Land is an archipelago located in the far north of Russia. It is found in the Arctic Ocean north of Novaya Zemlya and east of Svalbard, and is administered by Arkhangelsk Oblast. Franz Josef Land consists of 191 ice-covered islands with a...
, 1894–97, was led by British Arctic explorer Frederick George Jackson
Frederick George Jackson
Frederick George Jackson , British Arctic explorer, was educated at Denstone College and Edinburgh University.-Biography:...
and financed by newspaper proprietor Alfred Harmsworth. Jackson had been misled by false maps into believing that Franz Joseph Land was a land mass that extended to the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
. The survey which was the main work of the expedition eventually proved that the land was in fact an archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
, whose northernmost island stretched no further than 81°N.
The expedition party consisted of Albert Armitage
Albert Armitage
Albert Borlase Armitage was a Scottish explorer of Antarctica and captain in the Royal Navy.He was first a member of the Jackson-Harmsworth Expedition exploring Franz Josef Land...
, who made astronomical
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
, meteorological
Meteorology
Meteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere. Studies in the field stretch back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the 18th century. The 19th century saw breakthroughs occur after observing networks developed across several countries...
and magnetic records, Reginald Koettlitz
Reginald Koettlitz
Reginald Koettlitz was a British physician and polar explorer. He participated in the Jackson-Harmsworth Expedition to Franz Josef Land and in the Discovery Expedition to Antarctica....
(physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and geologist
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
), J.F. Child (mineralogist
Mineralogy
Mineralogy is the study of chemistry, crystal structure, and physical properties of minerals. Specific studies within mineralogy include the processes of mineral origin and formation, classification of minerals, their geographical distribution, as well as their utilization.-History:Early writing...
) and Harry Fisher (botanist and zoologist
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
), who in 1896 was replaced by William Spiers Bruce
Finding Nansen
On 17 June 1896 Jackson was startled by the sudden appearance of "a tall man, wearing a soft felt hat, loosely made, voluminous clothes, and long shaggy hair and beard". This proved to be Fridtjof NansenFridtjof Nansen
Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen was a Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. In his youth a champion skier and ice skater, he led the team that made the first crossing of the Greenland interior in 1888, and won international fame after reaching a...
, who with his sole companion Hjalmar Johansen
Hjalmar Johansen
Fredrik Hjalmar Johansen was a polar explorer from Norway. He shipped out with Fridtjof Nansen's Fram expedition in 1893–1896, and accompanied Nansen to notch a new Farthest North record near the North Pole on what was then the frozen Arctic Ocean...
had been living on the ice since leaving the beset expedition ship Fram
Fram
Fram is a ship that was used in expeditions of the Arctic and Antarctic regions by the Norwegian explorers Fridtjof Nansen, Otto Sverdrup, Oscar Wisting, and Roald Amundsen between 1893 and 1912...
on 14 March 1895. It was the purest chance that had brought Nansen and Johanssen to the Jackson-Harmsworth expedition camp.
On the basis of Nansen’s account of his journey Jackson seriously considered making a bid for the Pole himself, and began to build replicas of Nansen’s sledges and kayaks. However, the lack of skiing and ice travel experience within Jackson’s party meant that such plans were quickly aborted.
Sources
- Fleming, Fergus: Ninety Degrees North Granta Books, London 2001 ISBN 1 86207 449 6
- Huntford, RolandRoland HuntfordRoland Huntford is an author, principally of biographies of Polar explorers. He lives in Cambridge, and was formerly Scandinavian correspondent of The Observer, also acting as their winter sports correspondent...
: Nansen Abacus, London 2001 ISBN 0 349 11492 7