Last photograph of adventurer Captain Scott to be sold off at auction

[Michael Wong]

The last photograph taken of Westcountry-born adventurer Captain Robert Scott and his wife before his ill-fated expedition to the South Pole will be auctioned off soon. The black and white picture was taken by Steffano Webb, a New Zealand photographer based in Christchurch, just before the 1910 trip to Antarctica is expected to fetch £4,500. In total nine of Webb's photographs of Scott's Terra Nova expedition, taken at Lyttelton in November 1910 before the departure for the Antarctic, will be under the hammer.

Also on offer at a separate auction is an archive of material thatbelonged to another member of Captain Scott's team. This includes various photographs taken by Herbert Ponting, the mission's photographer, with one photo on the expedition signed by him and given to McKenzie. (McKenzie was a leading stoker on the Terra Nova and kept the detailed log from the ship that left for the ill-fated mission 100 years ago.) The archive of over 30 lots – many unseen – is being sold by McKenzie's granddaughter and is expected to make up to £30,000 at auction next Wednesday (26th May) at Bamfords auction house in Derby.

Photos: Last photograph taken of Westcountry-bornadventurer Captain Robert Scott and his wife before his ill-fated expedition to the South Pole; Crew of the Terra Nova