Hurley, Frank, 1885-1962

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Frank Hurley, born James Francis Hurley in Sydney, Australia, on October 15 1885, was a photographer and cinematographer. He left school without qualifications and worked in a steel mill before completing his education at the University of Sydney. He then worked for a firm of photographers but soon left to join the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911-1914 (leader Douglas Mawson). He took photographs of wildlife and was also a member of the party of three that sledged to the South Magnetic Pole in 1912.

Almost immediately after the return of this expedition, he joined the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition [Weddell Sea Party], 1914-1916 (leader Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton), sailing in Endurance . After the ship was crushed in the pack ice of the Weddell Sea, he and his companions escaped in boats to Elephant Island. A party of six led by Shackleton made the epic journey from Elephant Island to South Georgia to seek help from the Stromness whaling station and in August 1916, Hurley and the remaining members of the expedition were rescued from Elephant Island.

He brought back memorable photographs of the wreck of the Endurance and scenes on Elephant Island together with the documentary film In the grip of the polar ice [This was later titled The Endurance and is now generally known as South ].

During the First World War, Hurley served as an official war photographer in France and in the Middle East. Then followed filming ventures in New Guinea and central Australia as well as lecture tours in America before he returned to the Antarctic with the British, Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition, 1929-1931 (leader Sir Douglas Mawson). After this expedition, Hurley served as a war photographer in the Second World War.

He published Shackleton's Argonauts, a saga of the Antarctic ice-packs by James Francis Hurley, Angus and Robertson, Sydney (1948). His Argonauts of the South, being a narrative of voyaging and polar seas and adventures in the Antarctic with Sir Douglas Mawson and Sir Ernest Shackleton by James Francis Hurley, G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York (1925).

Hurely died at Callaroy Plateau, New South Wales, Australia, on January 17, 1962.
Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf James Francis [Frank] Hurley collection, 1912-1917 Scott Polar Research Institute
referencedIn Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition [Weddell Sea Party], 1914-1916 Scott Polar Research Institute
referencedIn James Francis [Frank] Hurley collection, 1912-1917 Scott Polar Research Institute
creatorOf Hurley, Frank, 1885-1962. Letter from Frank Hurley, [19--] [manuscript]. Libraries Australia
creatorOf Stefansson, Vilhjalmur, 1879-1962,. Collection of lantern slides, 1906-1960 (bulk 1913-1918). New Hampshire Newspaper Project
referencedIn Douglas Mawson collection, 1903-1948 Scott Polar Research Institute
creatorOf Hurley, Frank, 1885-1962. Papers of Frank Hurley [manuscript]. Libraries Australia
referencedIn Lang, Andrew, 1888-1924. Papers [manuscript]. Libraries Australia
creatorOf Hurley, Frank, 1885-1962. Papers [manuscript]. Libraries Australia
referencedIn Walter Atack collection, 1913 Scott Polar Research Institute
creatorOf [Frank Hurley : Australian Art and Artists file]. Libraries Australia
creatorOf Hurley, Frank, 1885-1962. Artist file : miscellaneous uncataloged material. Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)
referencedIn Eric Norman Webb collection, 1912-1965 Scott Polar Research Institute
referencedIn Walter Henry Hannam collection, 1911-1913 Scott Polar Research Institute
referencedIn Rosamond B. Loring collection of printed endpapers, 1900-1950 (inclusive), 1920-1941 (bulk). Houghton Library
referencedIn John Robert Francis Wild collection, 1873-1939 Scott Polar Research Institute
referencedIn George Sarton additional papers, 1901-1956 Houghton Library
referencedIn Charles T Harrisson collection, 1911-1913 Scott Polar Research Institute
referencedIn [Hurley, Frank : photography related ephemera material collected by the National Library of Australia]. Libraries Australia
creatorOf Hurley, Frank, 1885-1962. [Expedition to the Lake Murray region, Papua] [microform]. University of Hawaii at Manoa, Hamilton Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Atack Walter Garwood person
associatedWith Aurora (Steam yacht) corporateBody
associatedWith Australasian Antarctic Expedition 1911-1914 corporateBody
associatedWith Charles T Harrisson person
associatedWith Davis John King 1884-1967 person
associatedWith Endurance (Steam yacht) corporateBody
associatedWith Eric Norman Webb person
associatedWith Hannam Walter Henry b. 1885 person
associatedWith Harrisson Charles T person
associatedWith Hurley James Francis 1885-1962 person
associatedWith Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition Weddell Sea 1914-1916 corporateBody
associatedWith James Francis Frank Hurley person
associatedWith John Robert Francis Frank Wild person
associatedWith Lang, Andrew, 1888-1924. person
associatedWith Loring, Rosamund B. (Rosamond Bowditch), 1889-1950 person
associatedWith Mawson, Douglas person
associatedWith Mawson Douglas 1882-1958 person
associatedWith McCulloch, Allan Riverstone, 1885-1925. person
associatedWith Mill Hugh Robert 1861-1950 person
associatedWith Princess Victoria (Ship) corporateBody
correspondedWith Sarton, George, 1884-1956 person
associatedWith Shackleton Ernest Henry 1874-1922 person
associatedWith Stefansson, Vilhjalmur, 1879-1962, person
associatedWith Taylor Thomas Griffith 1880-1963 person
associatedWith Walter Garwood Atack person
associatedWith Walter Henry Hannam person
associatedWith Webb Eric Norman 1889-1984 person
associatedWith Wild John Robert Francis 1873-1939 person
Place Name Admin Code Country
New Guinea
Antarctica
Australia
Lake Murray Region (Papua New Guinea)
Australia
Antarctica Discovery and exploration
Australia
Subject
Explorers
Explorers
Hill, Rona
Hurley, Frank, 1885-1962
Photographers
War photographers
World War, 1914-1918
World War, 1914-1918
Occupation
Explorers
Photographers
Activity

Person

Birth 1885-10-15

Death 1962-01-16

Australians

English

Information

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