Shipboard Printing on Mid-19th Century Polar Expeditions

This quarter in Cultures & Ideas, we have focused on the origins of texts; not only the texts we are reading, but global print history as a whole. In our visits to the Archives and Special Collections, we have seen how texts all across the world were first preserved, whether through papyrus, animal skin, paper, etc. We have explored the evolution of print, and gotten to see texts produced in various fashions including manuscripts and historical printing presses. As a final research project in this course, we were given the opportunity to learn about a specific printing press, the items it produced, and the legacy it left. 

Thus, this exhibit details the historical context, impact, and inner workings of printing onboard the Arctic voyages in the mid-19th century.

It includes details on specific ships and their publications, photos of these publications, as well as speculation and information on the presses that may have been used to create them.

Throughout this exhibit, the impact of these presses will become clear: they provided a sense of hope and entertainment during harsh winter months, allowed creativity to blossom, and introduced printing to a wider range of the general public. I hope you enjoy exploring!

Navigation Instructions

I would recommend navigating in order of the pages on the sidebar on the left side of the screen, or by using the forward and backward arrows at the bottom of each page. While the exhibit is placed in this order, it should still make sense if you jump around, so feel free to explore anywhere you are interested.

A lot of the important information on the print itself will be found in the annotated images. So, look out for the pictures that have boxes on them! When you see them, make sure to hover over the boxes to display the detailed information.