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Cecil Meares
Jan. 21st, 2014 11:26 pmIn 2012, I took a couple days out of a family visit on Vancouver Island to check out the BC Archives in Victoria, because they had the effects of Cecil Henry Meares, Scott's dog expert, who is not terribly well-represented in existing published polar literature. The online catalogue promised expedition photos, which was VERY exciting; sadly all I saw of those was an empty envelope with 'Photographs from Scott's Expedition' written on it in an old hand, but I did see pictures of ponies at work in Siberia which made the decision to use them in Antarctica make so much more sense.
Other than that, and a signed photo of Teddy Evans which made me laugh, the archives were rather short on his involvement in Scott's enterprise. I did learn he was at the first battle of Ypres in WWI (the contrast in his letters before and after the battle is striking) and went to Japan in the '20s to help set up their air force (thanks a lot, Meares). I have not even been able to find out where he was buried – if he was buried – so I cannot stalk him, alas.
One day in the middle of life drawing I was seized with a sudden inspiration to draw him – after a few attempts from memory I dashed out in the middle of class to get my pocket compendium of expedition photographs (a.k.a. my ancient iPod Touch) and spent the rest of the class industriously scribbling long-dead dog-drivers and realising he bore a passing resemblance to Mr Ratburn.
I had been worried about differentiating him from Herbert Ponting, who also had a moustache and often languid expression, but I think I might be on the right track ...
Other than that, and a signed photo of Teddy Evans which made me laugh, the archives were rather short on his involvement in Scott's enterprise. I did learn he was at the first battle of Ypres in WWI (the contrast in his letters before and after the battle is striking) and went to Japan in the '20s to help set up their air force (thanks a lot, Meares). I have not even been able to find out where he was buried – if he was buried – so I cannot stalk him, alas.
One day in the middle of life drawing I was seized with a sudden inspiration to draw him – after a few attempts from memory I dashed out in the middle of class to get my pocket compendium of expedition photographs (a.k.a. my ancient iPod Touch) and spent the rest of the class industriously scribbling long-dead dog-drivers and realising he bore a passing resemblance to Mr Ratburn.
I had been worried about differentiating him from Herbert Ponting, who also had a moustache and often languid expression, but I think I might be on the right track ...
