Archive of the Discovery Expedition under Robert Falcon Scott - photo 1
Archive of the Discovery Expedition under Robert Falcon Scott - photo 2
Archive of the Discovery Expedition under Robert Falcon Scott - photo 3
Archive of the Discovery Expedition under Robert Falcon Scott - photo 4

Archive of the Discovery Expedition under Robert Falcon Scott

Lot 131
16.10.2025 10:00UTC +01:00
Classic
Starting price
$ 90 000
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
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Archive
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Archive
ID 1472053
Lot 131 | Archive of the Discovery Expedition under Robert Falcon Scott
Estimate value
$ 100 000 – 150 000
ROYDS, Sir Charles (1876–1931). Discovery Expedition archive, comprising 6 notebooks and 44 photographs. 4 March 1902 to 15 May 1904.

The personal expedition diaries of First Lieutenant Charles Royds, of the British National Antarctic Expedition under Captain Scott, with 44 of Reginald Skelton’s photographs from the same expedition. Royds’ journals document the progress of the Discovery from 4 March 1902 to 15 May 1904. Most entries record the day’s events and weather conditions, and feature additional numerical observations and measurements. Several hand-drawn landscape perspectives with measurements on grid paper appear in one of the notebooks, which also includes Royds' own pencil used to write his journals.

Led by Captain Scott, the British National Antarctic Expedition of 1901 to 1904 marked the first time in over half a century that a British expeditionary crew made the perilous journey to the southernmost reaches of the planet. Their ship, Discovery, was constructed specially for the voyage. Charles Royds, a Royal Naval officer, was released by the Admiralty to take part in the expedition and served as Discovery’s meteorologist.

Royds’ entries are matter-of-fact but detailed, measuring climate conditions and also how grueling those conditions are to endure. A series of entries while trial sledging in March 1902 give this impression distinctly: “Men dead tired & so also the dogs, so stopped & had tea, putting up a tent for the men. Barne reports his men dead beat. It is a bit too early to stop but will see how men feel after tea.” (5 March) – “light awful & very trying for the eyes […] Cannot see anything & can only feel by the weight of the sledge whether we are going up or down hill.” (11 March) – “Awful going, real bullock’s work” (17 March).

At other times, when not exposed to the elements, Royds entries run more prosaically, such as on 25 December 1904: “So once more we come round to Christmas Day, & here we are spending it under rather peculiar circumstances. The wish common for this day seems rather absurd under these circumstances, but we shall probably make the day as merry as we can. […] After lunch had a wash, the first since our arrival here!! […] Roast Penguin, seal steak, potted ham & chicken made by Ford, & a plum duff made by Hendsley, & drank it down with a good drop of cocoa. […] So ends another Christmas down here, & the 3rd spent in the Discovery. Oh how one thinks of all one’s friends & I very much wonder how many of my friends & relations are thinking of me tonight? & add me to the toast of Absent Friends.”

The archive includes dozens of photographs from Reginald Skelton, the Discovery Expedition’s chief engineer and photographer, showing the crew, geological features and various perspectives from the ship. Royds even references one of the images taken: “Skelton photographed us all in furs.” (9 March 1902).

Six notebooks, of which three are black limp cloth (160 × 100mm), one is black sheepskin over paperboards with pencil-holder and pencil (180 × 116mm), and two are blue limp cloth from Robert & Leete. [WITH]: 44 photographs (127 × 86mm and 108 × 83mm), of which 40 are mounted (102 × 76mm by sight; all over 159 × 127mm) and 4 unmounted in a paper envelope and archival box.
Place of origin:England
Auction house category:Letters, documents and manuscripts
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
02.10.2025 – 16.10.2025
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
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эмилио санчес перье (1855 - 1907)
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