THE building of the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge is to be formally opened by the Chan cellor of the University, Mr. Stanley Baldwin, on November 16. The speeches will be delivered in the Senate House, as the building itself is scarcely fitted for the number of people likely to attend the opening; but it will be inspected afterwards and flood-lit in the evening. The building itself is a memorial to the late Capt. Robert Falcon Scott, whose tragic death with four companions on his return from the south pole in 1912 will still be fresh in the memories of many. The architect was Sir Herbert Baker, and he has succeeded in erecting a building which is both practical for the activities of the Institute and of pleasant appearance. Over the front door is a bust of Capt. Scott by Lady Hilton Young (Lady Scott), and in the forecourt is a symbolic statue by her to the memory of the whole of the polar party. The memorial character is carried into the building in the form of an entrance vestibule with two high domes, painted by Mr. Macdonald Gill with maps of the two polar regions, embellished with the ships and the names of many noted explorers of the past. The three floors accommodate respectively the collections of polar equipment, the library of polar books and maps, and the pictorial collections. On the walls of the attic gallery are hung many of the watercolours painted by Dr. E. A. Wilson, a member of the polar party. There are also four small rooms for the use of the director, staff and research students. After November 16, the building will be open to the public on weekdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
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Jul 1, 1939
J M Wordie + 4
Open Access