The Arctic Shows of Commander Cheyne

 

Lieutenant (later Commander) John P. Cheyne was without doubt a valiant Arctic officer. As a young midshipman, he accompanied J.C. Ross in his search for the Franklin expedition with Enterprise and Investigator in 1848-49, returning as Mate under Captain Austin aboard that ill-fated ship of destiny, HMS Resolute, and then as Lieutenant under Admiral Belcher aboard the Assistance. He also gained some experience in amateur theatricals, and on his return to London took up the relatively new art of photography, producing a remarkable series of stereoscope views of the Franklin relics brought back to England by Sir Leopold M'Clintock in 1859

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Stereoview slide of Franklin Relics, c. 1859, from the collection of Douglas Wamsley

 

His photograph bug was a lasting one, but so was his interest in Arctic exploration. After retiring in 1870 with the rank of Commander, he took up the idea of an expedition to the North Pole using specially-equipped balloons. This was decades before Andrée's similar plan, but the public, having seen balloons in use in earlier (unpiloted) attempts to locate Sir John Franklin, were very receptive to the idea. Unable to secure any official backing, Cheyne turned to the exhibition circuit, appearing with several large series of Magic Lantern slides, projected by means of lime-light onto enormous screens in public meeting halls and lecture rooms.

from the collection of Douglas Wamsley

 

Many of the slides showed scenes in which he had personally taken part, and he became through presenting them the first Arctic explorer in Britain to seek to use his personal experience to lend authenticity to a lantern exhibition (back in the United States, survivors of Kane's second expedition had for some time been associated with such shows in the late 1850's and 1860's).

 

from the collection of Douglas Wamsley

Programmes for Chenyne's shows included a specially designed woodcut which showed something of what Cheyne's plan might look like. Unfortunately, in Britain at least, those seen to be currying public favor lost credit in official eyes, and Cheyne's scheme was never put into action -- perhaps thankfully.

 
 
 

NOTE: All texts, images, and views expressed on this site are the responsibility of Russell A. Potter, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Rhode Island College. All images on this site are reproduced from my own collections, or by permission of the image owners or copyright holders, if any. Comments to: rpklc@etal.uri.edu