In June 1910, Dr Edward Wilson set sail to Antarctica on board the Terra Nova on the British Antarctic Expedition led by Captain Scott. A supremely talented artist, Wilson sketched what he saw – including the majestic albatross.

The expedition ended in tragedy. The members of the British expedition perished on their return from the pole having discovered that the Norwegians had got there first. Wilson’s sketchbook was retrieved from the tent where he and his companions spent their last days.

Today, around 1,900 of Wilson’s drawings and sketches are held by Cambridge’s Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI), which holds a unique collection of materials illustrating polar exploration, history and science.

“Wilson is one of the greatest artists of the heroic age of polar exploration,” explains Heather Lane, former Keeper of the Polar Museum at SPRI. “He captured with stunning accuracy both the anatomical structure and the fragile beauty of living things."

SPRI: http://www.spri.cam.ac.uk/