The Open Polar Sea: Myth and Science at the North Pole
The idea of an open polar sea haunted the imaginations of European explorers and scientists alike in the nineteenth century.
Zheng He, the Great Eunuch Admiral
Captured, castrated, and forced to serve the Hongwu Emperor, Zeng He subsequently led a massive Ming fleet of treasure ships across an ever-expanding empire.
Mbarak Mombée: An African Explorer Robbed of His Name
Kidnapped and sold into slavery, Mbarak Mombée was critical to the success of the most celebrated nineteenth-century European expeditions in Africa.
Ada Blackjack’s Secret Weapon
Memories of her son helped Blackjack to become the sole survivor of an ill-fated expedition to Wrangel Island.
Earthsickness At Sea
Early European circumnavigators thought that their long absence from land during sea voyages made them sick. (Spoiler alert: it was scurvy.)
The First Black American to Reach the North Pole
Matthew Henson partnered with Robert Peary on seven Arctic adventures, but their final success brought an end to a longstanding collaboration.
Florence Baker, Unsung Survivor
Narrowly escaping slavery herself, Baker risked her life to repress the Saharan slave trade, sought the source of the Nile, and challenged Victorian social conventions.
Women in the Age of Polar Exploration
Opportunities were restricted during the so-called Heroic Age, but women still dreamed of exploration...and sometimes managed to reach the polar regions.
The New Oceanography: More Remote and More Inclusive
The days of celebrity oceanographers romancing the deep are gone, and maybe that’s a good thing.