BRITISH ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION, 1910-1913
An ice axe with cast steel head by Manskey and Co., Stourbridge, wood handle with twine grip still attached; and an electroplate serving spoon, the finial handle impressed with the emblem of a penguin standing on the southern hemisphere encircled by the legend: 'British Antartic Expedition Terra Nova RYS', maker's mark 'W. & H'. Length 19in. and 8in. (49.4cm. and 21cm.) respectively.
Provenance: William Richard Timothy and by descent. W. R. Timothy, a retired marine engineer, became licensee of the 'Hope and Anchor', Cardiff, in the late 1890s. Cardiff, with its importance as a coaling station, was probably the town from which Scott received his strongest support. As an ex-sailor himself, Timothy was naturally inclined to befriend members of the expedition and we are informed by the vendor that he amassed a large amount of Antarctic clothing and polar equipment, quite probably in exchange for kindnessses of his own. The collection was moved to Merthyr Tydfil in the 1920s and kept in a large cellar. The importance of the collection was unrecognised and it was allowed to deteriorate, the present ice axe and spoon alone surviving. (2)