Welcome aboard!
I’m Emma. I’m a writer, historian, astronomer, and all-around polar enthusiast—oh, and I do repair and maintenance work on RRS Discovery! This is my blog Glossopteris, where you’ll find an idiosyncratic range of posts including personal musings, commentary, and research articles on polar history. Join me as I plunge down the crevasse….
(This is a personal blog. The opinions expressed therein are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect those of any organisation I am affiliated with.)
-
Historically, the sinking of the Titanic and the death of Robert Falcon Scott took place within a few weeks of one another, but the world didn’t find out about the latter until a year after it happened. It took me 16 years after my Titanic obsession to find Scott in his tent. But I got…
-
It’s been a bit! I have a few more involved posts in the works, but for now, why not ease back in to Glossopteris with a travelogue? In June, I travelled to Norway with my dear friend and fellow polar nerd Madeline Newbery. The main purpose of the trip was, naturally, to spend some quality…
-
Today, March 27, is Kathleen Scott’s birthday. The woman who married Robert Falcon Scott is more than worthy of study in her own right. Her time married to the explorer was, of course, tragically cut short—but even still, she accomplished so much that her few years with Scott constitute only a fraction of her autobiography…
-
“The pram going off to Cape Crozier”, 3 January 1911. Photo credit: SPRI. I want to begin this post by saying I really enjoyed Robert Ryan’s Death on the Ice. It’s well written, certain scenes have truly breathtaking cinematic timing, and it’s meticulously researched. I recommend reading it. However, it does provide a perfect example…
-
Midway down Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula, nestled in a beautiful valley between verdant hills, lies the small village of Annascaul. Most tourists come for the hiking: Annascaul is surrounded by excellent walking paths, and situated right along the scenic Dingle Way. When my girlfriend and I visited last August, we found Main Street (almost the only…
“It was strange to have sailed the sea for many years in entire ignorance that such things were.”
— Robert Falcon Scott
Glossopteris 