These images were almost lost to icy Arctic Waters—instead they made the ‘Endurance’ crew legends

Today nearly 150 glass plates and 39 celluloid negatives are held by the Royal Geographic Society, in London. Jamie Owen, tasked with managing and preserving the organization’s extensive photographic collection, marvels at their condition. “If you leave out the preservation side of it, this almost perfect state they’re in at the moment is amazing, given the journey they’ve been on,” he says.

RGS has digitized the collection to ensure that the public can view the images. But the originals are untouched. In fact, short of the rare royal dignitary, National Geographic is the only institution to have been granted direct access to Hurley’s glass plates for the sake of this story and the documentary. 

(Discover how our Explorers discovered the long-lost Endurance in icy waters.)