Sno-Cat hangs precariously over Crevasse during Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition, November/December 1957.

 

Fun fact: This exact photo was one of the 116 images that were encoded on the Voyager probe golden record.

In 1955, preparations were made for a great expedition to cross the continent of antarctica. It would be the first overland journey to the south pole since Amundsen and Scott reached the pole on dog sled and foot respectively 46 years earlier.

The main convoy left Shackleton base in November of 1957 and going was initially rough, this picture was taken at some point before they reached the south pole on the 3rd of January 1958.

This photograph features the second of four sno-cats – door code B, nicknamed ‘Rock ‘N Roll’. The vehicle was saved from the crevasse and was returned to the manufacturer as a museum piece upon completion of the expedition

A fantastic contemporary documentary on the expedition can be found here.

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