Shackleton's ship found (and yes, a mandolin!)

[Randi Gormley]

I saw this story this morning, that Shackleton's ship, the Endurance, was found in the Weddell Sea in the Antarctic pretty nearly undamaged if you don't count the areas crushed by ice when it went down in 1915.

In looking at some of the historic photos that accompanied the story, i found this. Thought people might appreciate it.

It's a photo of Shackleton's crew. Note the guy in the back.

[sunburst]

...Note the guy in the back.

Must have been a pretty good player. Neither he nor the mandolin show any signs of damage after being cooped up with a crew in a ship on a frozen ocean.
(I guess it could just be early in the voyage.)

[jelhai]

Imagine the humidity problems.

[journeybear]

What a surprise! Not just to learn of the discovery - which I did an hour ago - but to see it mentioned here, with an actual mandolin connection!

As a surviving former member of the local Shipwreck Museum - which tells the story of the salvaging (though called "wrecking") industry here, that was quite lucrative and brought Key West to international attention, as it became reportedly the American city with the highest per capita income in the 1850s - I appreciated learning of this.

In case people don't know, Shackleton and most of the crew survived and made their way safely home. The ship suffered a slow death, locked in the ice, crushed slowly over several months, eventually sinking. Whether the mandolin and its owner survived is unclear. Here's hoping!

The story of this discovery was reported this morning, and the story of the expedition as well. Fascinating.

(I guess it could just be early in the voyage.)

Yup. Or it could have been during the nine months the ship was stuck in the ice before sinking. After that, they camped on the ice for two months, until they could launch the lifeboats and make their way back to civilization. More here.

[BradKlein]

The much better known, and surviving instrument from the voyage is the banjo played by Hussey, and credited by Shackleton as an important morale booster. I don't know if the mandolin was considered essential when the crew abandoned the ship as it was being crushed by the ice or if it was sent to the bottom.

Here's an earlier thread on the famous banjo with remarks on the same mandolin photo.

[journeybear]

I don't know if the mandolin was considered essential when the crew abandoned the ship

I'm sure it was considered essential by the mandolinist. It does seem unlikely it would have survived the temperatures endured by the crew while camping on the ice for over five months, though. And since they left in three lifeboats, and ultimately fit into just one, there would have been no room for extraneous cargo. Yes, I said that. But I hope that included the banjo, too.

[allenhopkins]

"With one hundred seaman he sailed away,
To the frozen ocean, in the month of May;
They took a banjo, and a bowl-back too --
To raise the spirits of brave Shackleton's crew..."

-- rewrite of Lady Franklin's Lament, about another perilous polar voyage.

[Phil-D]

It seems that the gentleman to the right is playing a stringed instrument also.

[Southern Man]

Looks to me like that fellow with the mandolin might be George Marston, this ship's artist. He is identified in this photo and looks like the same person. Also was identified as being interested in music and a good singer:

https://www.spri.cam.ac.uk/pictureli...cle/p66.19.87/

Found a list of tunes they might have been playing as well, compiled by Marston and one of the other members from here https://www.warrenfahey.com.au/songs...to-antartica/:

SHANTIES
played an active role in the pioneering Shackleton exhibition and this first-hand account states the following were sung:

Santa Ana
Leave Her Jollies
Yankee Ship
Blow the Man Down
Sally Brown
Paddy Doyle’s Boots
Drunken Sailor
Whiskey Johnny
Stormalong
The Merman
Shanandoah


I read a bunch of books on Artic and Antarctic exploration, but it was a long time ago. Don't remember information on instruments

[MikeEdgerton]

It seems that the gentleman to the right is playing a stringed instrument also.

Yup, the other guy next to the mandolin player is playing a banjo and please note that the rest of the crew are simply ignoring them

[journeybear]

I'm not so sure. Yes, two are involved in what looks like a serious game of dominoes,* two are doing the same with checkers, but that in no way implies they are not enjoying the music. Musicians often find themselves providing background music while those within earshot are engaged in other activities. While the music is not commanding their rapt attention, I'll wager it is quietly lifting their spirits, helping take their mind off the dire situation. Bless music and musicians and the magic they provide to transport listeners away from their worldly concerns.

* The pose of the second fellow from the left "inspired" a wiseacre on the other thread to comment that they looked like they were on their cell phones. Actually, he is rather intently staring at his unplayed dominoes, contemplating his next move.

[azb]

I also heard they had bagpipes on board, but they were thrown overboard at the first opportunity.

[journeybear]

"With one hundred seaman he sailed away,
To the frozen ocean, in the month of May;
They took a banjo, and a bowl-back too --
To raise the spirits of brave Shackleton's crew..."

-- rewrite of Lady Franklin's Lament, about another perilous polar voyage.

This may be about this same voyage, although the crew numbered 56 and left in August. But that doesn't rhyme as easily as "May."

I also heard they had bagpipes on board, but they were thrown overboard at the first opportunity.

One wishes. Supplies being limited, it's more likely the chanters would have been burned for heat and the bag converted to mittens.

[mrmando]

This may be about this same voyage, although the crew numbered 56 and left in August. But that doesn't rhyme as easily as "May."

no, Lady Franklin's Lament would be about the 1845–6 John Franklin expedition in search of the Northwest Passage. Franklin's ships, Terror and Erebus, were similarly caught in ice and abandoned by the crew. But none of that crew survived. (Both Terror and Erebus have also been found in recent years.)

All of Shackleton's crew survived. He didn't lose anyone.

[MikeEdgerton]

As I understand it the wreck is in pristine shape, sitting proud on the ocean floor. I won't be surprised if they find the banjo in immaculate shape except it's out of tune but they need to know it probably went down that way.

I have always been fascinated with this age of exploration. The Endurance crew was lucky to have survived. My family descends from the same area of Ireland.

[MikeEdgerton]

...All of Shackleton's crew survived. He didn't lose anyone.

And he died of a heart attack on his next voyage to that same area and is buried there.

Franklin's voyage to find the Northwest Passage inspired a great song by Stan Rogers by the way.

By the way, the guy in the front, second from the left. Is he looking at his smart phone?

[Jonathan Reinhardt]

My mandolin was cooped up with me on a diesel sub in the North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean. We both survived the experience and are both still making music. And it was quite a while ago.

[journeybear]

This may be about this same voyage, although the crew numbered 56 and left in August. But that doesn't rhyme as easily as "May."

no, Lady Franklin's Lament would be about ...

Ahem. Take it up with Allen, then, please. Thank you.

By the way, the guy in the front, second from the left. Is he looking at his smart phone?

See Post #11. Should I not have put it in fine print?

[tmsweeney]

mandolin and banjo music for how many months at sea? Is it possible they scuttled her out of sheer madness from too much plinkety plinekty?

[journeybear]

In the interest of clearing up a bit of misunderstanding ... concerning events from quite another corner of the world ...



And the aforementioned Stan Rogers song about the same ill-fated voyage.



A hall pass entitling the bearer to one instance of thread-hijacking free and clear shall be granted to whomsoever can identify the song by a rather well-known singer-songwriter which borrows heavily from the first song. It's worth mentioning the lyrics have been around since the 1850s, and the melody is actually from an Irish air.

[DavidKOS]

mandolin and banjo music for how many months at sea? Is it possible they scuttled her out of sheer madness from too much plinkety plinekty?

It was a bowlback and a pre-plastic head banjo. The music was sweeter sounding than you might imagine.

I would think the music, the games, etc. helped keep the "poor seamen" sane and happy.

[mrmando]

More essential information about the Franklin expedition, in a bluegrass context.

[CarlM]

A hall pass entitling the bearer to one instance of thread-hijacking free and clear shall be granted to whomsoever can identify the song by a rather well-known singer-songwriter which borrows heavily from the first song. It's worth mentioning the lyrics have been around since the 1850s, and the melody is actually from an Irish air.

Bob Dylan's Dream

[journeybear]

Bob Dylan's Dream

Ta-da!!!

Now, personally, I hear some similarity here and there, though not a compelling amount. Some of his other early songs borrowed melodies more closely than this. But it's clear there's a connection.

As to that hall pass - consider the source and context. Good luck using it! But thanks for playing!

[DavidKOS]

About the banjo, owned by Dr. Hussey:

https://oceanwide-expeditions.com/bl...njo-brain-food