The thirty-two British Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition Paget Plates held by the State Library of New South Wales vividly illustrate one of the last major expeditions of the ‘golden’ or ‘heroic’ age of Antarctic exploration: a period from 1897-1922 when Antarctica became the focus of international effort and rival expeditions resulting in considerable progress in scientific and geographic understanding of a then largely unknown continent. This was a period in history in which Australia (and cooperation between Australians and British expeditions) played a major part.

The association between the material and expedition leader Sir Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922), whose participation in three polar expeditions inspired many Australian explorers, including Sir Douglas Mawson, and ensured his reputation as a role model for leadership under extreme circumstances, confirms the Paget Plates’ historical significance and role in creating a nationalist narrative of bravery and discovery around Antarctic exploration in the early twentieth century. In addition, the plates are among the most famous still photographs created by renowned Australian photographer, filmmaker and adventurer, James Francis (Frank) Hurley (1885–1962).  

The Paget Plates became a sensation when first made public in 1916. They are primary source material documenting the expedition's attempt at crossing the Antarctic continent, the failure of this objective when the expedition ship, the Endurance, was trapped and crushed by ice in the Weddell Sea in 1915, and the miraculous survival of every member of the party. When interpreted alongside other documentary records, like Shackleton's published expedition account South, the plates illustrate the story in a way the written word cannot.  The visual record of Antarctica in the early twentieth century also provides a point of comparison for researchers studying the expedition today.

Hurley’s Paget Plates are of strong artistic composition and are rare examples of innovation in early colour photographic processes. They are unique as the only known colour photographs of the British Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914–1917.

The plates are accessible without restriction through the State Library’s online catalogue, ensuring they can be reinterpreted for a variety of purposes without risk to the vulnerable originals.