Rare Collection of Photos of Doomed Arctic Expedition Explorers Will Be Up for Auction

Photos of Doomed 1845 Franklin Expedition Explorers Up for Auction

The 14 daguerreotypes of the officers of the Franklin expedition, 1845. (Photo: Sotheby's)

Exploring the unknown can be a risky business. For the 129 members of the Franklin Expedition in 1845, led by Sir John Franklin, adventure turned deadly. All are known or thought to have perished in the icy landscape of the Arctic, leaving behind an enduring mystery as to what exactly happened. Now, a lucky collector will own a piece of that tragic mystery: a set of 14 daguerreotypes taken of senior officers shortly before the voyage by the studio of photographer Richard Beard. Up for auction at Sotheby's after languishing in the Franklin family's hands for over 150 years, the photographs are insight into a 19th-century mystery.

The photographs are one of two sets of the 14 British officers taken by the photographer shortly before the voyage. The other set, which is missing two men, is held by the Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI). Scholars wondered where the other set was, and it turned out Franklin's family had passed it down the generations. Now up for auction, the images turn out to be slightly different in outfits and composition. They are excellent quality daguerreotypes, a photographic process which was quite new at the time. When they set out, the explorers even brought a daguerreotype camera with them to document their mission, but sadly it has never been found.

The 129 men set out on the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror. They were sailing through the Northwest Passage of the Canadian Arctic; however, they got trapped in thick ice well into their mission. Unable to move for over a year, the crew—minus their leader Franklin and many others who had already perished—abandoned their ship in 1848. The rest of the men perished on land in northern Canada as they likely starved and froze. When the ships vanished, search parties were eventually sent out by the British government. They discovered some remains and a now infamous note placed in a cairn, reporting the abandonment of the ship and death of their leader.

The ships were not found by these 19th-century rescuers, but were eventually discovered in 2014 and 2016 using modern technology. Modern-day scientists have been able to analyze the known remains and shipwrecks to try to piece together the sad final years of these explorers, but much remains speculation.

Now, the rediscovery of the officer daguerreotypes is yet another piece of the puzzle. On display this September in London, the historic portraits are estimated to sell for £150,000 to £200,000 (approximately US$188,522 to US$251,362), those interested in viewing or bidding can visit Sotheby's website for more information.