Hirsch Exhibitions
Visit the Hirsch Library during regular public hours to see exhibitions featuring volumes from the library’s collection of rare books.
Looking North: Arctic Exploration in Print
January 28–May 16, 2026
During the 19th and early 20th centuries, a multitude of expeditions, both military and private, set forth to explore the Arctic regions. They sought to survey uncharted territory and achieve national and personal glory—objectives for which crew and commander alike risked their lives, as voyages frequently descended into years-long struggles for survival.
Among the watchful public, this “golden age” of Arctic exploration became a phenomenon of widespread cultural fascination. British and American print media teemed with depictions of Arctic explorers, the extraordinary landscapes they traversed, the native inhabitants they met, the animal life they encountered, and the tragedy and triumph they faced.
From expedition narratives and newspaper articles to natural history illustration and even children’s literature, Looking North: Arctic Exploration in Print examines how imagery of the polar North permeated the era’s print culture and traces the artistic echoes of the golden age into the modern day.
On-site
Hirsch Library is located on the lower level of the Beck Building.
Hirsch Library is located on the lower level of the Beck Building.
Online
View the virtual edition of Looking North: Arctic Exploration in Print.
View the virtual edition of Looking North: Arctic Exploration in Print.