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Primary sourcePhotograph1909

Ernest Shackleton Studio Portrait

George Charles Beresford · 1909

A sepia studio photograph of Ernest Shackleton taken around 1909, considered the best-known image of him at the height of his fame.

This is the best-known studio likeness of Shackleton, taken at the height of his fame as a polar explorer.

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Sepia-toned studio portrait of a man with dark hair parted in the middle, wearing a dark suit, white collared shirt, and polka-dot tie, facing the camera. Handwritten signature and date 1909 appear at lower right.
George Charles Beresford, portrait of Ernest Shackleton, 1909.

About this source

What it is

This is a studio portrait photograph of the explorer Ernest Shackleton, taken by photographer George Charles Beresford around 1909. It shows Shackleton facing the camera in a dark suit and tie, with his signature and the date visible in the image.

Why it matters

This photograph was taken not in the Antarctic but in a studio, at the point when Shackleton had become famous for leading expeditions that pushed further south than anyone before him. Portraits like this helped build his public image as a national hero.

Look closer

  • Why might Shackleton have chosen to be photographed in formal dress rather than polar clothing?
  • What does a studio portrait tell us that an expedition photograph cannot?
  • How might this image have been used by newspapers or supporters at the time?

This photograph is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Ernest Shackleton on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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