Dr Adele Jackson, Canterbury Museum Curator Human History, explores the rich and varied history of how people have used flags in Antarctica in a talk given to the Friends of Canterbury Museum in October.
Since explorers first started planting flags on the icy continent in the nineteenth century, they have been used to symbolise everything from political division to global unity. They have represented impressive victories and devastating defeats. Many carry personal significance as lovingly sewn emblems of identity, others are simply practical tools to keep safe those who venture out on the ice.
Adele, who specialises in Antarctic cultural history, provides a fascinating insight into the emotional, political and practical meanings woven into the fabric of historic and contemporary flags, including how artists use flags to offer new insights into the Antarctic cultural landscape.
