James Cook: The Voyages
–London, UK
Organisation: The British Library
To mark 250 years since Captain James Cook's ship Endeavour set sail from Plymouth, this major exhibition will tell the story of Cook's three great voyages through original documents, many of which were produced by the artists, scientists and seamen on board the ship. From Cook's journal detailing the first crossing of the Antarctic Circle to handwritten log books, stunning artwork and intricate maps, chart the voyages, which spanned more than a decade, and explore the experiences of people on the ship and in the places visited.
Drawings by the Polynesian high priest and navigator Tupaia, who joined the first voyage at Tahiti and accompanied Cook to New Zealand and Australia, will be going on public display for the first time together, alongside works by expedition artists Sydney Parkinson, John Webber and William Hodges. Tupaia's paintings include a series of depictions of Tahitian society and culture, as well as drawings from New Zealand and Australia.
The collection of original maps, artworks and journals from the voyages, alongside rare printed books and newly commissioned videos, seek to shed new light on the encounters that completed the outline of the known world and formed the starting point for two centuries of globalisation.
E-mail: boxoffice@bl.uk