Antarctic Explorer Edward Adrian Wilson: Ann-Rachael Harwood 27 March '25

Antarctic Explorer Edward Adrian Wilson

On the 27th March, 2025, The Friends will welcome Ann-Rachael Harwood to the Civic Offices to talk to us about the Antarctic explorer Edward Adrian Wilson.

About our speaker

Ann-Rachael is a passionate Antarctic historian with a special interest in the life and work of Edward Adrian Wilson. She is a museum curator by training and had a varied career working at the Tower of London cataloguing cannon balls, to time at the old prison at Northleach, the Corinium Museum in Cirencester and lately at The Wilson in Cheltenham. Here, she encountered the work and writings of the naturalist, doctor, artist and Antarctic scientist Edward Adrian Wilson and became fascinated by the frozen southern continent.

Antarctic Explorer Edward Adrian Wilson – Ann-Rachael Harwood

Dr Edward Adrian Wilson (1872-1912)

Edward Adrian Wilson (1872 to 1912) was born in Cheltenham. Wilson spent his childhood roaming the hills and fields around the town, totally absorbed in the natural world when not at school. He pursued that love throughout his life. He trained as a Doctor but still sketched every living creature he came across from ant to elephant.

Wilson went on two expeditions with Scott to Antarctica. He painted and drew the landscape. He also mapped the coastline and mountains, capturing and dissecting natural history specimens and starting us off on our love affair with Emperor Penguins.

Further he led a trip in the Southern winter to find out about the Emperor Penguins’ breeding habits. A trip now referred to as ‘The Worst Journey in the World’. He was one of the four men picked to go to the South Pole with Scott but died on the return journey in 1912.

His legacy lives on through: