‘Ah me: the years that have gone since in the pride of young manhood I first went forth to the fight. I grow old and tired but must always lead on.’ – Sir Ernest Shackleton
How did Shackleton find you?
A collaborative online exhibition marking the centenary of the death of Sir Ernest Shackleton at South Georgia. Using your images, text, and other contributions, My Shackleton paints a picture of Shackleton’s enduring power to inspire, teach and intrigue today.


There could not be a more appropriate final setting for a remarkable human. South Georgia is a wonderful place to visit, well worth the trouble of getting there.
Image: With Falcon Scott, Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s only grandson.


I have had a drink at Shackleton’s grave in Grytviken.
(Editors note: This family story of Shacklton's dogs probably relates to the earlier Endurance Expedition.)
I was asked by Sir Ernest’s granddaughter, the Hon Alexandra Shackleton, to lead the expedition team to authentically retrace the survival journey he undertook after the loss of the Endurance. This involved rebuilding a replica James Caird and sailing it from Elephant Island to South Georgia, followed by a climb through the mountains of South Georgia from King Haakon Bay to Stromness whaling station. We did this in 2013 using only period clothing, equipment, food and navigational techniques.
I have always been inspired by Shackleton’s personality, from his unquenchable optimism, to his determination, crisis leadership and emotional intelligence. 100 years on, his legacy for me is what his leadership teaches us about how to tackle threats like climate change and biodiversity loss. His goal was to save all his men from Antarctica. Ours is to save Antarctica from man.

We have visited the site four times in the past twenty years and re-read the books about Shackleton's expedition with sheer wonder every time.


Image: Hearing the story, Point Wild





Buenos Aires, Argentina
Both Shackleton and Wild inspire me by their loyalty and friendship towards each other and Shackleton’s candidness about his feelings regarding Wild. "I love him, he is my other self…."
As strangers in 2003, we found ourselves visiting Shackleton’s peaceful place. Both planned to quietly contemplate life, yet surprising discovered someone else disturbing our solitary reflection.
We met, recited poetry, eventually leading to our 2006 legal marriage at Shackleton’s grave and a lifetime of love. Peter now lectures on Shackleton’s life. We have met Endurance crew children and returned many times to the beauty of South Georgia.

As a young boy I was fascinated about polar explorers, principally Shackleton.
I have been fortunate to work and visit in the areas that Shackleton knew, such as South Georgia, Elephant Island, and Antarctica, on many occasions. During a circumnavigation of South Georgia, I went ashore at Peggotty Bluff King Haakon Bay.

I was thrilled to be able to visit South Georgia in 2006 as part of an Irish group to celebrate the great man himself!
In a graveside memorial service attended by the crew, Executive Officer Commander Thomas Boeckx outlined Shackleton’s deeds while Commanding Officer Captain Mike Wood laid the wreath on the grave.
Ship’s Chaplain, Mike Chatfield, said: “It was a privilege to remember Sir Ernest Shackleton with HMS Protector’s ship’s company at his grave on South Georgia, nearly 100 years from his burial in March 1922. The stories of his expeditions and the epic 800-mile journey he and his companions made from Elephant Island to South Georgia to find help, demonstrate his courage, leadership and commitment to look after those in his care."
Images: Some of the crew of HMS Protector presenting the wreath they had laid on Sir Ernest Shackleton's grave to the SG Museum, and the inscription from the wreath.

Over the years I read everything I could on him, and through him discovered the other Irish Polar explorers of the early 1900s: Patrick Keohane, Robert Forde, Tim and Mortimer McCarthy and Tom Crean. I also learned about the Irishmen of the 1800s who paved the way: Edward Bransfield discovered the Antarctic mainland, and Francis Crozier explored both poles.
So I am grateful to Shackleton for leading me to all the others.
I visited his grave, and now I live beside a Shackleton home in Dublin! Image: The plaque on the house where Shackleton used to live, Marlborough Road, Dublin, Ireland.

Two decades later, on a century-old sailing ship, I spied South Georgia. We walked the last miles of his famous journey to safety. And a few weeks later anchored off the very beach on Elephant Island from which Shackleton set off.
My chance encounter inspired me, gave me a hero for life, and showed me that if you treasure and believe in your dreams, they can come true.
In 2016 I was deeply fortunate to bring some of Kalpana’s ashes to share with dear friends over Shackleton’s grave.

Image: Alexandre with the flag of Rio de Janeiro at Shackleton's grave.









Image: Painting of Elephant Island

Image: Elephant Island
Reading Lansing’s coverage on the historical trip made by the Endurance made me travel, suffer and celebrate along with Shackleton’s crew and also inspired me a lot in seeking to become a better leader in all instances of my life.
I always wanted to see Signy Island, named after my grandmother who I lived with as a child.
In 2011 my wife and two children joined on a cruise with the Hurtigruten ship Fram, and on our way to South Orkney Islands we visited Strømnes and were able to do the 'Shackleton Walk' - the last part of Ernest Shacleton's journey to save the crew of Endurance. He was met in Strømnes by Thoralf Sørlle, his friend and my grandfather's uncle.

It was the most riveting adventure story I had ever read, and all the more captivating because it was true.
In 2019 I finally visited South Georgia & Shackleton's grave.
As our ship sheltered from a fierce storm in the lee of Elephant Island we gained a small crumb of understanding of what he and his men endured. His story continues to astonish.

Image: In a storm, Elephant Island
In 1914, when the Endurance had been refitted in Millwall Dock, Morris visited Shackleton there with his son Morris, aged 12.
The boy became my grandfather, who often told me of meeting Shackleton and the crew on the ship before it sailed for the South Pole. His father was an early probation officer in London, but it was through Morris’s work as an Anglican lay preacher that he had met Shackleton.
Our family’s profound interest in Shackleton’s story is from the perspective of an enduring bond of friendship between two men of very different backgrounds.

In 2018 my wife and I travelled to South Georgia and Antarctica, saw Elephant Island from the ship, and visited Shackleton’s grave at Grytviken.

We retraced the team’s footsteps, covering the final segment of his, Crean’s, and Worsley’s phenomenal trek to stand above Stromness. Knowing I was a Shackleton “groupie”, I was asked if I would like to read Shackleton’s account, as recalled in 'South'. Thrilled, I did so. A life-changing experience, to be sure.


The bow of the Yelcho, pictured in 1998, is gate guardian to the Chilean naval facility at Puerto Williams on the Beagle Channel far south in Chile.
We also saw James Caird at the Greenwich Naval Musuem when it was on loan from Dulwich College (the explorers’ school) for the exhibition'“South'. Unfortunately no photos were allowed.
All summed up in the amazing pictures of the Endurance wreck on its discovery this week.
Shackleton has been a big part of our lives.
My husband died in 2018, but when I heard about the discovery of the wreck after having seen it (the Shackleton22 Expedition) leave Cape Town on television, I went to our special tree to let him know.

Image: Bow of the Yelcho in 1998
Reading Lansing’s coverage on the historical trip made by the Endurance made me travel, suffer and celebrate along with Shackleton’s crew and also inspired me a lot in seeking to become a better leader in all instances of my life.
I have had a drink at Shackleton’s grave in Grytviken.
Both Shackleton and Wild inspire me by their loyalty and friendship towards each other and Shackleton’s candidness about his feelings regarding Wild. "I love him, he is my other self…."
I was thrilled to be able to visit South Georgia in 2006 as part of an Irish group to celebrate the great man himself!
Two decades later, on a century-old sailing ship, I spied South Georgia. We walked the last miles of his famous journey to safety. And a few weeks later anchored off the very beach on Elephant Island from which Shackleton set off.
My chance encounter inspired me, gave me a hero for life, and showed me that if you treasure and believe in your dreams, they can come true.
TAKE PART
How did Shackleton find you?
We invite you to tell us how you discovered Shackleton, or how you are inspired by him today.
To become part of the exhibition, submit your contribution, which can be images or text.
Share your story
Guidelines and how to submit:
1. Send an email to the address takepart@sght.org
2. Attach your image and/or text. Supplied Images: jpeg formatWords: 100 or less. Your stories are important to us! Tell us the story behind your contribution, and what Shackleton’s legacy means to you. A picture is worth a thousand words, but please limit your stories to 100.
3. Add your contact details, including your name and email address