Exploration Collection (page 5)

WORLD MAP, c1300. Map, late 19th century, depicting the extent of knowledge of the worlds geography c1300, and including the route of Marco Polos return voyage from China in 1292

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Ptolemys map of the world, illustrating a concept of the flat earth. Hand-colored 19th-century woodcut reproduction

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Leif Erikssen off the coast of Vineland in a Viking landing boat. Hand-colored photogravure of a 19th-century illustration

The Highway to the South - Scott expedition
The magnificent entrance to the Beardmore Glacier showing the snow slope leading up to the two massive granite pillars through which Captain Scott passed with his men

Map of the Americas, 1660
17th century map of the Americas. Published in Amsterdam in 1660, this map by the Dutch cartographer Frederick de Witt (1630-1706) shows the geography of the Americas

US Astronaut Edward H. White II carrying out external tasks during third orbit of Gemini-Titan 4 flight. CREDIT: NASA

The Modern Boy front cover - Nelson polar bear attack
Front cover of The Modern Boy featuring an illustration showing Horatio Nelson when young fighting off an attack from a polar bear when his ship was frozen in ice in the Arctic. Date: 1932

Plaza Colon and Cathedral, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
Plaza Colon (with statue of Christopher Columbus) and Cathedral (Our Lady of the Candelaria or Candlemas), Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, North Atlantic Ocean. Date: circa 1905

Illustration of Christopher Columbus with boats Santa Maria, Pinta and Nina arriving on island with royal banner and cross

Space Shuttle Liftoff

A futuristic alien plant harvest

Yuri Gagarin driving through London, UK
Yuri Gagarin (1934-1968), Soviet cosmonaut and first man in space, driving through London, UK, in an open-top car. Gagarin made the first manned space flight on 12 April 1961

Illustration of Galileo Probe

Hubble Space Telescope above earth

MANHATTAN PURCHASE, 1626. Peter Minuit (1580-1638) Dutch colonial official in America. Peter Minuits purchase of Manhattan Island, 1626, after the painting by Alfred Fredericks

Filming Scott of the Antarctic, with John Mills as Captain Scott RN, James Robertson Justice as Petty Officer Taff Evans, and Kenneth Moore as Lieutenant Evans

Oxo in the Antarctic - Captain Scott polar expedition
Advertisement for Oxo showing members of the ill-fated Captain Scott polar expedition to the South Pole enjoying an 11 o clock cup of OXO on board the Terra Nova

Nikolay Urvantsev, Soviet geologist
Nikolay Nikolayevich Urvantsev (1893-1985), Soviet geologist, speaking in public at his 80th birthday celebration. Urvantsev is best known for his exploration of northern Siberia and the Arctic

17th century map of South America
South America, 17th century Dutch map. This shows the new continent that was being discovered by European explorers. The shape is distorted because it had not yet been accurately mapped

Atlas compass, 16th century
Atlas compass in a 1544 copy of the Agnese Atlas. Several copies of this atlas were produced between 1536 and 1564, in Venice, by the Italian mapmaker Battista Agnese

Apollo 16 lunar rover, artwork
Apollo 16 lunar rover. Artwork of the US astronaut John Watts Young (born 1930) driving a lunar rover on a performance test run on the Moons surface

Apollo lunar rover, artwork. Two Apollo astronauts in a lunar rover, exploring on the Moon. Their lunar landing module is at upper left

1698 William Dampier Pirate Naturalist
1698 William Dampier, naturalist, explorer and buccaneer (August 1651 - March 1715). A posthumous 1787 Copperplate engraving by Charles Sherwin after the 1698 painting by T. Murray

SIEUR DE LA SALLE (1643-1687). French explorer. La Salles party feasting in Illinois Village, 1680: oil on canvas, 1847, by George Catlin

Dutch ships in the Arctic, 1600s
Dutch ships of Henry Hudsons time near Novaya Zemlya, early 1600s. Hand-colored 19th-century woodcut reproduction of an earlier illustration

Schwatkas discovery of Franklin expedition grave, 1880
Grave of Franklin Expedition member Lt. John Irving found by Schwatkas American search party in Greenland, 1880. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th century illustration

Ships off the Antarctic ice-shelf, 1800s
Two sailing-ships near the ice-shelf of Antarctica, 1800s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

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Landing of Jean Nicolet on the Wisconsin shore of Lake Michigan, 1634, the first European to reach that region. Hand-colored halftone of a 19th-century illustration

Native Americans meet Lewis and Clark at Council Bluffs
Lewis and Clark meeting with Native Americans at Council Bluffs, Iowa. Hand-colored woodcut by Patrick Goss, a member of the expedition

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Early map of Hudsons Strait and Hudsons Bay, 1662, in Arctic Canada. Hand-colored 19th-century woodcut reproduction

Missouri River near Mandan, North Dakota
Missouri River between Pierre and Mandan, North Dakota, explored by Lewis and Clark. Photograph

Dr Livingstones African servants, 1800s
Chuma and Susi, David Livingstones loyal African servants, 1870s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

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Map of equatorial Africa as known in the 1870s. Printed color lithograph, 19th century

Vasco da Gamas route around Africa, 1400s
Africa as known after Vasco da Gamas discoveries, from map of Juan de la Cosa, 1500. Hand-colored woodcut reproduction

Members of the Search Party who found Captain Scott
From left: Sub-lieutenant Gran, Petty-Officer Williamson and Mr E.W. Nelson (biologist), members of the relief party who discovered the bodies of Captain Scott

The spot where Captain Scott lies buried
A cross placed on top of a large cairn of snow marking the resting place of Captain Scott, Dr Wilson and Lieutenant Bowers

Map of the world, 1590
16th century map of the world. Published around 1590, this map shows the known world, including the new lands being discovered by Europeans exploring across the Atlantic

Bolivia, Southern Altiplano, Salar de Uyuni. Cones of salt stacked on the Salar de Uyuni salt flat

Sabah Malaysia, Borneo, Kinabalu National Park. The impressive scenery of the Kinabalu National Park viewed from the slopes of Mount Kinabalu - The highest mountain peak in South East Asia

Statue of Christopher Columbus in San Juan, Puerto Rico, West Indies, Caribbean, Central America

Shackleton / Dreadnought
The Dreadnought. An iceberg encountered by Shackleton and his crew

Sir Henry Morton Stanley And His Men Crossing A Hazardous Forest Clearing During His Emin Pasha Relief Expedition In Africa, 1886 To 1889. From In Darkest Africa By Henry M. Stanley Published 1890

Castleisland Lough Key Forest Park, Boyle, Co Roscommon, Ireland

Adelie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) diving near ice flow, Antarctica. Small reproduction only

Christopher Columbus (1451-1506). Engraving. Colored
Christopher Columbus (1451-1506). Explorer and navigator genoese. Columbus taking possession of the island of San Salvador. Engraving by Martin Rico after a painting of Isidro Gil

The Monument to the Conquerors of Space, Moscow
The Monument to the Conquerors of Space - erected in Moscow in 1964 to celebrate achievements of the Soviet people in space exploration. Date: 1986

1864, Johnson Map of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, topography, cartography, geography
1864, Johnson Map of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho

The icebreabker Kapitan Khlebnikov cruising through broken pack ice Greenland Sea
The icebreabker Kapitan Khlebnikov cruising through Prince Christian sound, Greenland

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"Unveiling the Unknown: A Journey through Time and Terrain" Embarking on a voyage of discovery, the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror set sail in 1845, their mission shrouded in mystery. As they ventured into uncharted waters, these vessels became symbols of exploration's relentless pursuit. Across distant lands, explorers like Sir Edmund Hillary left indelible marks on history. Scaling the majestic Mount Everest alongside Tenzing Norgay in 1953, they reached new heights both literally and metaphorically. Their triumph echoed throughout time as a testament to human resilience. Yet not all expeditions ended with glory. The ill-fated journey of Erebus and Terror marked Franklin's last endeavor, forever etched in maritime lore. These ships vanished into icy depths, leaving behind tales of bravery amidst treacherous conditions. In a single snapshot captured from space, the Earthrise photograph revealed our planet's fragility against the vastness of space—a reminder that exploration extends beyond earthly boundaries. Heroes emerged from adversity; Shackleton, Wild, and Adams defied nature's wrath during their Antarctic expedition—an epic tale of survival against all odds. The HMS Beagle Ship laid up after Darwin's transformative voyage—its significance imprinted upon scientific progress forevermore. This vessel carried ideas that challenged conventions and reshaped our understanding of life itself. Maps unfolded before us like portals to unknown territories—the British Empire world map depicted an era when exploration expanded horizons far beyond imagination. From ancient Viking ships sailing turbulent seas to Captain Francis Crozier leading his crew aboard HMS Terror—exploration coursed through veins filled with courage and determination. Even within city limits lay untrodden paths waiting to be discovered—the James Craig Map showcased Edinburgh's New Town emerging from topographical dreams into reality—an urban landscape born out of innovation and vision.