1915 Antarctic 'Endurance' Expedition Photos

Beginning on August 8, 1914, Englishman Sir Ernest Shackleton led a crew of 27 men on the last major expedition of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration in an attempt to make the first land crossing of Antarctica.

The Trans-Antarctic Expedition almost didn't happen as Shackleton offered his ships, stores and services to his country the night before World War I broke out, but the Royal Navy and First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill desired that the journey proceed.

Australian photographer Frank Hurley brought 40 pounds of color photo equipment on the onerous journey and would have to dive into three feet of icy seawater to salvage cases of glass negative plates from their wrecked ship.

Good thing he did because the expedition became one of the earliest examples of color photography.

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