Scott Polar Research InstituteShackleton Online
Explore our exceptional collection of material related to Sir Ernest Shackleton
Sir Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922) participated in four expeditions to the Antarctic during the 'Heroic Age' of Antarctic exploration, leading three of them. He was an impressive leader, known for his bravery and ability to build camaraderie in his crews.
The Shackleton Online resource is a space where you can find out more about Shackleton’s expeditions, crew mates, the places they travelled to, and the exceptional collections of papers, photographs and objects related to Shackleton held by the Scott Polar Research Institute.
Explore the expeditions
Learn about the iconic ships, famous crew and remarkable stories
Treasures from the SPRI collection
Delve into some of the unique items from our historic collection of papers, objects and images
Meet the pioneers
Discover the lives and stories of Shackleton's intrepid companions
Films
In these short films about objects voted for by the public, you can learn more about Shackleton, the expeditions he went on, and his relationships with the people around him.
Audio-described objects
Listen to these accessible audio descriptions of ten objects in our Shackleton collection and find out more about what Shackleton and his men would have taken to the Antarctic.
Learning resources
Our website has educational films and teacher packs about Antarctica. Explore our educational film and teacher pack about Ernest Shackleton and the Endurance, aimed at 7-11 year olds!
Shackleton Online has kindly been funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, the Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund and the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust.
© Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge