Though Arctic exploration has a long and storied history, it is rare that we get to really know the hardships many Arctic explorers, then and now, face and how they dealt with these challenges.
Echoes in the Ice: History, Mystery and Frozen Corpses is a temporary exhibition currently on display at the Canada Science and Technology Museum, mainly concerned with the drama, adventures and tragedies surrounding the competitive search for the Northwest Passage. Many explorers believed finding that passage would lead to riches, fortunes and fame due to faster, improved trade.
One such explorer was Sir John Franklin, whose expedition was considered the most sophisticated and well-versed at the time for its technology and provisions. However, an unknown tragedy struck and the ill-fated Franklin expedition failed to find the passage.
Today, researchers are trying to solve the mystery of what really happened to Franklin and his men.
The exhibit intends to highlight the most valid theories about the fate of the expedition. Many artifacts in their discovered state are displayed in this part of the exhibit.
Some of the most informative yet gruesome sections of the exhibit showcase pictures of frozen corpses and the theories behind them. In fact, they are so gruesome that museum officials were asked to take them down. However, Stacy Wakeford, director of exhibitions, stands by the decision to keep the murals.
“We already had to take down the banners that had frozen corpses,” Wakeford said. “Parents were complaining that the content was not appropriate for children.”
Wakeford goes on to explain the various sections of the exhibit: the first section dealing with the doomed Franklin expedition and the second more concerned with artwork that illustrates Arctic exploration.
The third section of the exhibit is the neatest and most interesting, according to Wakeford.
“We tried to show people a then-and-now comparison, showing the equipment those explorers used before and what they use now,” Wakeford said.
“It is unusual for a museum but we wanted to show people and help them understand more.”
Comparisons included navigational and medical tools used at the time (telescope and compass, scalpels) and their contemporary counterparts (GPS and first aid kits).
As well as physical artifacts, the exhibit also houses an area where museum-goers can watch a video explaining the theory that lead poisoning led to the demise of the explorers.
There is also an interactive display that suggests that the hopeless explorers resorted to cannibalism to survive.
In spite of these tragedies, Wakeford stressed the continued the importance of Arctic exploration.
“The Arctic is rich in natural resources like oil, and plays an important role in transportation and sovereignty,” she said.
Perhaps with the advancements in technology, explorers today would have an easier time hearing the echoes deep under the ice.