cristina de middel

Jan Mayen, 2015


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Jan Mayen, 2015


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Jan Mayen, 2015


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Jan Mayen, 2015



In 1911, the North Pole had already been discovered, paving the way for subsequent explorers eager to showcase their courage and bring back unforgettable memories. This marked the inception of extreme tourism.

In this context, a group of affluent German and British individuals, posing as scientists, chose to “re-discover” Jan Mayen—an island between Greenland and Iceland; utilized by whalers for years but lacking scientific study. They sailed, argued, fought, forgot their compass, ran out of coal, and reached the island, but the boat’s size hindered a successful landing.

End of the story. No medals to bring back this time and no groundbreaking discoveries in the scientific fields proudly represented by the crew.

History is often written by winners, a fact not lost on the cinematographer within the crew. He persuaded the group, despite their setback, to stop on the way back at an Icelandic beach and stage the landing with the dramatic flair befitting heroic tales. This is the true story of how history itself was staged.

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Jan Mayen



Binding: Hand-bound, black leather cover with a buckle clasp, in a protective card box

In 1911 the North Pole had already been discovered and these first valiant explorers had opened a way for secondary heroes that were willing to prove their courage and to bring back home some unforgettable and unique memories. In that context a group of wealthy German and British supposed scientists decided to “re-discover” Jan Mayen, an island located between Greenland and Iceland that whalers had been using for years but that had not been studied scientifically. They sailed, they argued, they fought, they forgot their compass,they ran out of coal, they made it to the island, but the boat was too big and they could not land. End of the story. No medal to bring back home this time and no serious discovery in any of the fields of science that the crew was proudly representing.

History is written by winners and the cinematographer in the crew was well aware of that. He convinced the loser group to stop on the way back in an Icelandic beach and to stage the landing with all the dramatizing that such heroic jests entail.

  • Year: 2015
  • Language: English
  • Pages: 118
  • Dimensions: 15 x 20 cm
  • Format: Softcover
  • Publisher: AMC Books

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