Dating a photo of Amundsen

September 9, 2010 7:12 AM

I'm wondering if anyone can find information about when this photo of Roald Amundsen, the famous antarctic explorer was taken. It is the frontispiece to his book, The South Pole
posted by outlandishmarxist to society & culture (5 answers total)

Jan 01, 1915, at least according to Life
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 7:29 AM on September 9, 2010

I hadn't seen that, but that's not possible. The book was published in 1913. http://www.archive.org/stream/southpoleaccount01amun#page/n7/mode/2up

Perhaps the dating in Life is the date when that specific print was made.
posted by outlandishmarxist at 7:33 AM on September 9, 2010

An additional question: what would that style of coat be called? I'd like as much specificity as possible.
posted by outlandishmarxist at 8:01 AM on September 9, 2010 [1 favorite]

It actually says on the page you linked to:

In this photo: Roald Amundsen
Photo: Time Life Pictures/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Jan 01, 1915

Is it possible that a newer photo was added to a later edition?
posted by MuffinMan at 8:28 AM on September 9, 2010

It was almost certainly taken much earlier than 1915 (especially considering it appears in a book that was published two years earlier). See this page, and click on #14; I know that working in a climate like that can age you, but he looks much older in that photo dated 1913 than he does in the portrait in the frontispiece of the book.

This photo was "created or published" by Bain news service in 1913, and again, he appears older than the frontispiece photo.

That's all I got, for now. I'll keep poking around, though.
posted by rtha at 8:56 AM on September 9, 2010 [1 favorite]