Diversions

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Some objects have an almost talismanic power. Consider the pocket sextant Charles Darwin used on his legendary Beagle voyage of 1831-6, when he made the observations that led to his theory of evolution. Or the peaked cap David Livingstone was wearing at Ujiji near Lake Tanganyika in 1871 when journalist Henry Morton Stanley met the African explorer with the greeting, "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" Now you can consider the power of such objects in person, because they are among the artifacts, maps, photos, books and documents put on public show for the first time by London's Royal Geographical Society. Since it was founded in 1830, the RGS has amassed more than 2 million such items. But several years ago RGS director Dr. Rita Gardner felt it was time to let the world in on the treasures and initiated the $13 million study-center project. The hoard, covering 500 years of exploration, contains 150,000 books, papers and diaries. The photographs alone—including Frank Hurley's amazing images of Shackleton's Endurance trapped in Antarctic ice—are worth a visit. Entry to the Reading Room costs $18 a day, but access to exhibitions is free. Not in London? Go to www.rgs.org/collections.