The search for the North-West Passage, the sea route in the Arctic Ocean which connects the North Atlantic with the North Pacific Ocean, has been sought by many of Britain’s most famous explorers, including Captain Cook, Sir John Franklin, Sir John Ross and Sir William Parry. Countless men lost their lives searching for a trade route through this hostile terrain, enduring arctic blizzards, scurvy and starvation.

This new exhibition draws on some of the extraordinary stories, feats of endurance and tragedies that surround some of these 19th-century British Arctic expeditions. It also explores the lives of the Inuit who have made their homes in these harsh conditions for thousands of years. Now, as climate change takes hold, the eyes of the world are once again turning to this contested region. The exhibition brings together the NMM’s extensive polar collection to reveal the historical importance of the North-West passage to 19th-century explorers and why the Arctic is making headlines once more.

Exhibition dates: 23 May 2009 - 3 January 2010

Location: Level G, National Maritime Museum (download the floor plan)

Admission: Free, open daily 10.00–17.00