Historical Explorations (Past Expeditions)
Antarctic Expeditions
- South: The Illustrated Story of Shackleton's Last Expedition
Shackleton’s own account of his final Antarctic journey. - Endurance
National Geographic documentary on the discovery of Shackleton’s ship.
Travel Writing & Colonial Perspectives
- Imperial Eyes: Travel Writing and Transculturation
Mary Louise Pratt examines how travel writing shapes perceptions of the colonized world. - On Savage Shores: How Indigenous Americans Discovered Europe
Stories of Indigenous people who traveled to Europe before colonization. -
William Hodges: The Art of Exploration
Art and travel from Cook’s voyage
Postcards and Early Social Media
- Postcards: The Rise and Fall of the First Social Network
A lecture on postcards as early forms of social networking.
Space Exploration
- NASA+
Free NASA documentaries about space and exploration. - NASA History of Space Exploration
Historical resources from NASA’s exploration archives.
American Expeditions & Road Trips
- Lewis and Clark
Ken Burns documentary about the iconic American expedition. - Horatio’s Drive: America’s First Road Trip
Ken Burns documentary about the first U.S. cross-country car trip. -
On the Oregon Trail
Exhibit on 19th-century westward migration -
Ireland and the English Lake Poets
Literary travel and historical landscapes
Mount Everest History
- Lost on Everest episode
National Geographic investigates the 1924 Everest expedition. - High Society: Hillary and Tenzing After the First Ascent of Everest
Life magazine photos and reflections on the famous summit.
Notable Historical Figures
- Giant's Causeway: Frederick Douglass's Irish Odyssey
Explores Frederick Douglass's transformative time in Ireland. -
Artists on the Move
Mobility in artistic practice pre-modern travel -
The Art of Travel
Exploration and art from Asian museum collections
Travel in the Middle Ages
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A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages
Primary source-based exploration of medieval travel -
Fantastic Lands and Where to Find Them
Book review of Anthony Bale’s guide -
Lecture by Anthony Bale
Bale discusses medieval travel at NY Medieval Society
Travel Guide Histories
- How Travel Guidebooks Charted and Changed the World
Guidebooks’ influence on world travel culture - Historical Travels: NYPL
NYPL archive of historical travel guides - The Travel Guidebook’s Halcyon Days
Rise and fall of traditional travel guides - Mapping the Gay Guides
Digital history project on LGBTQ travel