Export ban on Shackleton’s sledge and flag to prevent ‘terrible loss for the nation’
AN EXPORT ban has been placed on the sledge and flag used by Sir Ernest Shackleton on his failed trip to the South Pole following their sale to an undisclosed overseas buyer.
Helen Whately, the arts minister, said that it would be a “terrible loss” to Britain if the artefacts, valued at £227,500, were to be sent abroad.
The decision on the export licence application for the items has been deferred until
May 6, with a possible extension to August if a “serious intention” to raise funds to purchase them is made.
However, they remain at risk of being lost abroad unless a UK buyer, who wishes to add them to the national collection, is found in time.
Ms Whately said: “Shackleton’s expeditions to the South Pole are legendary. The sledge and the flag were part of his ground-breaking Nimrod expedition. Together, they help to tell the story of one of the most daring moments in the 20th century.
“The UK has a proud history of discovery, and it would be a terrible loss for the nation if these unique items did not stay in the country.”
In 1907, Sir Ernest was among four explorers, known as the Southern Party, to embark on the Nimrod expedition with the objective of being the first to reach the South Pole.
The sledges, used to carry supplies to survive the extreme conditions, were hauled by the group to just 97½ miles short of the destination before they famously turned back. Historians have credited the expedition for paving the way for Roald Amundsen and Robert Falcon Scott, and their race to become the first to reach the South Pole in 1911.
Dr Eric Marshall, a fellow explorer on the Nimrod mission who owned one of the sledges and the flag, brought them back to
England in the 1950s when he donated them to Monkton Combe School in Bath.
The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA), who advises the government on what should be classed as national treasures, warned the items “needed” to be kept for future generations.
The committee argued that the sledge and flag provide a “tangible connection” to a significant chapter in the history of the UK.