Antarctica: Explorer Series, Vol. 1

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Summary: ANTARCTICA
Review: ANTARCTICA by Pat & Rosemarie Keough

Reviewed by Charles Swithinbank,
Scott Polar Research Institute
for: The Antarctican Society Newsletter
Vol. 01-02, No. 2, January 2002

This is the first Antarctic book that may require a Sherpa to bring it to your home, a lectern to display it, and a special book-case to put it in. But make no mistake, it is something that you will treasure for life.

While is not the first large-format volume of Antarctic photographs by professionals who have spent years traveling in the Antarctic, what distinguishes this is the unmatched quality in every aspect of its production. The book is published in a limited edition of 950 leather-bound volumes, each one signed by the authors and by Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, Honorary President of BirdLife International. An advance copy was unveiled on January 14th, 2002 during a reception hosted by HRH Prince Charles at St James's Palace, London. The authors have agreed to give the net proceeds from Antarctica to BirdLife International for their Save the Albatross campaign. An incidental consequence of current longline fishing practices is that 17 of the world's 24 species of albatross are now at risk of extinction. Attracted to the baited hooks, seabirds are hooked or entangled and then drowned as the trailing lines sink behind the fishing vessels.

Antarctica weighs 12.6 kg (27.8 lb) in its linen-bound presentation case, and 8.6 kg (19 lb) by itself. The book itself measures 44 x 34 x 6 cm (17 x 13 x 2.5 inches), contains 330 color images taken by the authors, a 15-page narrative, a map and a glossary of ice and snow terms.

The Keoughs have assembled a stunning and eclectic portfolio of such artistry that your reviewer was left speechless. It embraces wildlife, landscapes, abstract patterns in nature and touches of man from the heroic era through the heyday of whaling to the present. I was transported from the windswept interior plateau to the mountainous coast, from off-lying islands to the icy seas and the stormy ocean. The volume is a stress-free way to experience the wonders of Antarctica with all its savagery and beauty. For connoisseurs of photographic art and for collectors of fine books, Antarctica will greatly please.

My own regret is that I was not able to rummage through the Keoughs trash bin on the morning after they made their selections for the book. I could have sold my redundant camera. But remembering Herbert Ponting and Frank Hurley before them, I expect they will have fuelled their log fire in the backwoods of British Columbia with most of the rejects.

The authors traveled to the Ross Sea, the Weddell Sea, Ellsworth Land, the Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia. The book includes a map of the continent with insets of the Ross Sea and the Antarctic Peninsula showing place names mentioned in the text. South Georgia, being peripheral to the main theme of the book, has no map of its own.

Each image has a brief but adequate caption. Most of the scenes would look fantastic on an IMAX screen. Having myself been to most of the places that the Keoughs visited - some in their company - many of their photographs brought a pang of nostalgia. But as I lack the eye of an artist, I had looked but seldom appreciated the stark beauty of what I was seeing. If tempted to tear out the pages to frame, Antarcticans will discover that with a properly bound book like this, it is almost impossible.

As I watched the Keoughs in the Antarctic, they almost always had their cameras on a tripod, surely a major factor in creating such pin-sharp images. The authors themselves inspected each page of every book (some 400,000 pages in all) before sending them to the bindery. To make the high quality binding, some 2000 goat skins from India were specially tanned in Scotland. To counter the squeamish, we are told that semi-wild goats are destroying plant diversity, and that fewer goats equate to a healthier natural environment.

The images are printed on custom-made acid-free and chlorine-free heavy paper, hand-sewn with Irish linen thread using centuries-old techniques. Treated with care and kept in dry and pollution-free conditions, the book should last for 1000 years. It is the first photographic art book in the world to have been printed with 10-micron stochastic spots, a leading edge printing technology with three times the resolution of traditional high- end lithography. Pat and Rosemarie's company, Nahanni Productions inc., have previously published six books featuring their images exclusively. Titles include The Nahanni Portfolio and The Niagara Escarpment. Antarctica is the first of their Explorer series. In buying the book you will help to ensure that your children may live to see the albatross still wheeling and soaring over the ocean - no longer threatened by the greed of man.

Rating:
Summary: ANTARCTICA... Incredible!
Review: ANTARCTICA arrived this morning. I've never seen anything so beautiful; it takes my breath away. The photos are so incredible that even as the viewer, it feels like I'm behind the lens. Thanks to Pat and Rosemarie Keough for completing this important work and sharing it with the rest of the world, especially for those of us who will never set foot on Antarctica--but we have visited there--because of the Keoughs and their photographic genius.

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Summary: ANTARCTICA: A Stunning Treasure For All Generations
Review: ANTARCTICA is a stunning book of such exceptional quality that it almost defies an adequate review. Pat and Rosemarie Keough have produced and edited this volume, and filled this first book of their Explorer Series with world-class photographs, each individually captured and carefully selected, to lovingly show the wildlife, the structural landscapes, and the stark physical beauty of this rarely visited continent and the subantarctic islands. Accompanying the stunning photographs is a beautifully written description which further amplifies the unique features of this frozen land. The pages of this book have been carefully handsewn, and the cover is bound in fine goatskin. The book is delivered in a well constructed presentation box.
The final product is an exceptional example of uniting the craft of publishing, handsewn book binding, and stunning photography with flowing text. The photographs themselves leave one amazed at the beauty of this continent.
The Keoughs have received fourteen major publication and artistic awards for the overall excellence of this tome. For me, this exceptional book has such beauty and lasting value, that I plan to bequeath it to the next generation for their pleasure and enjoyment.

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Summary: The review from "The Economist"
Review: No recommendation could be higher than that which I read in "The Economist" as follows:

Photographs to swell the heart of any armchair traveller. Like a Patek Philippe, this is a book you don't own, but merely look after for the next generation - once, of course, you've repaid the loan you took out to buy it.

This is from the "Books of the year 2003" recommended by "The Economist" Dec 6 - 12 th, 2003 issue. I don't choose to wear a watch, but I do appreciate the refined elegance and quality of a Patek. Likewise, ANTARCTICA is an heirloom.

Rating:
Summary: Antarctica
Review: This book is an amazing and mind-boggling effort to bring the continent of Antarctica to life for all to see and experience, albeit vicariously. The work, endless dedication, and exacting attention to even the minutest detail set this magnificent book apart from all others of its genre. It is, in my opinion, the most beautifully conceived art book that I have ever seen. Not only is the photography in "Antarctica" exceptional and awe-inspiring, but in addition, the leather, binding technique, paper selection, etc.--all contribute to its incredible uniqueness.

I had the pleasure of sharing a tent with Rosemarie Keough during the photographing of the Emperor Penguins at the Dawson-Lambton Glacier in November/December 2000, and I can attest first hand to her ceaseless pursuit to capture on film as many phases of Emperor Penguin activity that constantly changing weather conditions would allow. No easy task, to be sure, but one done with much caring and love for Nature and its handiwork.

Anyone who would like to own a rare masterpiece of shear exquisiteness should not hesitate to add this magnificent volume to his/her collection.