Voyage of the Scotia 1902-04

The Ship

The study on the Scotia

The original caption describes the subject of this image as being a "study" on SY Scotia, the ship used on the 1902-1904 Scottish National Antarctic Expedition organised and led by William S Bruce.

The room may indeed have been used as a study, but examination of the picture suggests that it might not have been on board the ship.

The shelves, for example, do not have the protective rail one would expect in a ship's cabin, and other clues (such as loosely stacked boxes) indicate that the room was more likely part of Omond House, the expedition's base on Laurie Island in the South Orkney Islands.