Antarctica Historical Images - Stimulus pictures - 8 of 21
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Diary entry: 8 - Today I ascended in a hydrogen balloon from the sea ice to a height of 490m (1600ft). This is our ship, the Gauss trapped in sea-ice, we will be free in the spring. This is the first time anyone has flown in Antarctica, 29th March, 1902.
Explanatory caption: A picture of the ship Gauss in winter quarters 1902, the ship of the relatively little known German expedition of 1901-1903 led by Erich von Drygalski. This picture was taken from a hydrogen filled reconnaissance balloon on March the 29th 1902 at a height of 490m (1600 feet), Drygalski was the first man to fly in Antarctica. Note the long cone of wind blown snow behind the ship.