Fascinating illustrated map, designed for post-World War II school audiences, showing Antarctica as a then still largely unknown territory, a symbol of scientific challenge and conquest.
Prominent in the center is a polar view of Antarctica, showing the main areas of international influence-the United Kingdom, the United States, Norway, France, Australia, and New Zealand-underscoring the growing geopolitical interest in the white continent during the Cold War years and in the run-up to the International Geophysical Year (1957-58).
Making this map evocative are the large vignettes placed to the left illustrating two iconic moments of Antarctic exploration:
– Above left, we find Roald Amundsen and his Norwegian team triumphantly hoisting the Norwegian flag at the South Pole on December 14, 1911. The drawing conveys the joy and scientific determination of a well-prepared and organized group, which made innovative use of skis and sled dogs.
– At lower left, however, the mood is somber and dramatic: it is the tragic expedition of Robert Falcon Scott, who arrived at the South Pole only weeks after Amundsen, in January 1912. The cartoon depicts him with his exhausted men, intent on dragging sleds by hand across the ice, symbolizing the desperate effort and tragic ending of the journey, which cost the lives of the entire group on the return trip.
Editrice La Scuola (founded 1904) is a Brescia-based publishing house specializing in publications devoted to education. Founded by lawyers, intellectuals and politicians, it was established to ensure the continuation of “Scuola Italiana Moderna,” a magazine for elementary school conceived in 1893 by Giuseppe Tovini. It has historically collaborated with the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, helping to establish a campus in Brescia, and in recent decades has also worked with the University of Brescia. Still in business, it publishes periodicals for children, magazines for teachers and books on pedagogical topics.
