The Belgica & Beyond
amateur translations, scans, & assorted research by m.w.
actively under construction.
WRITTEN FROM THE BELGICA 1897-1899
CORRESPONDENCE
- coverage in the Belgian press, translated
- coverage in the British press
- coverage in the American press
- scientific lectures, translated
- list of Expedition publications a) Lecointe on Danco’s contributions
QUELQUES EXPÉDITIONS SUIVANTES
- de Gerlache & Charcot (the Français)
de Gerlache & the Duke of Orléans (the Belgica in the Arctic) - the failed Second Belgian Antarctic Expedition (Arctowski & Lecointe)
- the successful Second Belgian Antarctic Expedition (Gaston de Gerlache)
- the Royal Belgian Observatory
Georges Lecointe’s 20th Century
MARRIAGES & OTHER LIFE EVENTS
Lecointe Family Arctowski - de Gerlache
- Racovitza
- van Mirlo
- van Rysselberghe
ASSORTED BELGICA RESOURCES
- bibliography
- associated persons
- contemporary photographs
the sailors of the Belgica performing a “starlight concert” on Sept. 26, 1897, from Johan Koren’s diary
contact: packloafertranslations@gmail.com
bibliography & recommendations
Assorted sources, both digital and print, for further reading. For assistance in acquiring print sources, including the official English translations of some of the French books listed below, please contact me. If you are interested in purchasing your own copies and can’t find them in your local used book shops I highly recommend Erskine Press or Top of the World Books.
Other sources have been cited on the pages where they were used. Many thanks also to the archival, curatorial, and exhibit teams at the Belgian War Heritage Institute, the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, and MAS Antwerp, as well as Hilde Langenaken at the Royal Observatory of Belgium, the Frederick Cook Society, and the Terror Camp moderation team and community.
Interested in what the men themselves were reading? I’ve compiled a list of books they had on board here.
Through the First Antarctic Night by Dr. Frederick A. Cook
Voyage de la Belgica: Quinze mois dans l’antarctique by Adrien de Gerlache de Gomery
Aux pays des manchots by Georges Lecointe
Exploration of Antarctic Lands by Henryk Arctowski
Johan Koren’s diary (Norwegian, no known translations available)
Roald Amundsen’s expedition diary (English translation)
Madhouse at the End of the Earth by Julian Sancton
Henryk Arctowski: In a World of Thoughts by Dagmara Bożek and Katarzyna Dąbkowska (available in Polish and English, documentary in development!)
L’antarctique en héritage by Henri de Gerlache de Gomery (only partially uploaded, documentary available for purchase online)
Adrien de Gerlache; Poolnacht: Adrien de Gerlache en de Belgica-expeditie; & Naar Antarctica: Belgen en Nederlanders op expeditie naar de Zuidpool are all Dutch-language texts by Jozef Verlinden. I have only had access to very brief selections of his Adrien de Gerlache biography translated by machine; sadly, none of them appear to be available in other languages to the general public.
Belgica in the Arctic by Kjell-G. Kjær
Charcot of the Antarctic by Marthe Oulie
Belgium in War Time by Adrien de Gerlache
Articles (Academic & Otherwise)
On the long-ignored scientific achievements of the Belgica expedition 1897-1899 by Patrick de Deckker (article, Polar Research Vol. 37) (larger book forthcoming)
Historia Special no. 45, an entire edition on Racovitza (Romanian-language web version with automatic translation enabled)
Web Resources
Other Annapurnas’ Heroic Age Reader: the Belgica
This site is a fantastic starting place for anyone interested in the Heroic Age of Exploration at large, with a particular focus on the Anglophone expeditions of that period. My own research has been heavily influenced by Other Annapurnas’ work and generosity.
Emil Racovita: Photographer & Draftsman
Roald Amundsen’s House Museum Website: Belgica Expedition
the personnel of the Belgica
the Belgica ship itself
Article about Henryk Arctowski (Polish language, automatic digital translation available)
Dr. Frederick A. Cook Library of Congress Collections, Digitized
This is an ongoing effort by the wonderful R Fen for the Frederick Cook Society. Please be sure to read their guide for information on how to utlize this resource.
Video Resources
Dutch Language video on Adrien de Gerlache and the Belgica, includes interviews with his son, the Antarctic explorer Gaston de Gerlache
The Explorer, a documentary about Emil Racovitza (Romanian with subtitles)
Belgian Antarctic Expedition presentation by Dagmara Bożek-Andryszczak
Fictionalizations of the Belgica
La Belgica: Il canto delle sirene (The Belgica: Song of the Siren) by Bruno Toni
Graphic novelization of the expedition from the perspective of a fictional stowaway; available in Italian and French.
De Winter Van De Belgica by Willy Schuyesmans
Novel from Jan Van Mirlo’s perspective; I am as yet unaware of any translations and have not been able to read this).