Polar evening with Susan Barr
Ernest Mansfield – one of the great personalities of the "Klondike era" in Svalbard, eternally searching for gold.
Friday 20 September at 19.00 The Ishavsmuseet will be visited by Susan Barr, who will give a lecture about Ernest Mansfield.
There are many colorful personalities in Svalbard's history around whom myth and mystery have been built. Mansfield was one of the greats from the mineral exploration era.
He founded the marble town of Ny-London, across the Kongsfjord from Ny-Ålesund, and four of the houses from there now adorn Ny-Ålesund – the so-called London houses.
Not much is known about Mansfield's life, but the debate rages on whether he was a romantic dreamer or a scoundrel and stockbroker. Susan Barr, with two co-authors, has written a biography of Mansfield.
She will present facts about this mysterious man's life and his search for gold on three continents.
Susan Barr is an ethnologist and polar historian and currently works as a senior advisor in polar affairs at the Norwegian Agency for Cultural Heritage. She previously had a long career with the Norwegian Polar Institute. Barr has also written several books on polar history.
After the lecture, dinner will be served in the traditional style at the museum.
