Ocean Camp, November 1915. One of a number of studies of ordinary life in extraordinary circumstances, where a calm detachment on Hurley’s part only seems to heighten the heroism inherent in each subject. Ocean Camp, and the later Patience Camp, were home on the floating ice from November 1915 to the following April.

The James Caird’s departure from Elephant Island bound for South Georgia, Easter Monday, 24 April 1916. Her crew of Shackleton, Frank Worsley, Tom Crean, Harry McNeish, Timothy McCarthy and John Vincent would take 17 days to sail the near 800 nautical miles through towering seas to South Georgia. Their journey ranks as arguably the greatest ever feat of small boat seamanship.

A line of ice pylons was built and ropes strung between them to provide safety and guidance during blizzards. March 1915.

Hauling the James Caird, the largest of three whalers, across the ice from Ocean Camp on 8 December 1915. Shackleton’s plan to drag the boats to open water was soon abandoned. The going was rough; very little distance was gained for the enormous effort involved, and worst of all, the group nearly fractured under the strain.

Efforts were made to cut, saw and pole ice out of the way so that Endurance could crash through to a tantalisingly close lead of open water. Mid-February 1915.

King Edward Cove, East Cumberland Bay, South Georgia, November 1914. The smaller of the two ships at anchor of the Grytviken whaling station is Endurance. The expedition departed South Georgia for the Weddell Sea in early December 1914.

The dogs were moved off the ship and housed in kennels on the ice. Quickly dubbed ‘dogloos’ by the crew, they provided better shelter and warmth than the decks of Endurance. Chains were frozen into the ice to restrain the dogs.

After leaving the heaving pack ice for good, the men rowed through six days of thirst-crazed, fear-ridden, freezing hell before landing on Elephant Island, 15 April 1916.

Hurley with his cinematograph under the bow of Endurance, 1 September 1915. On the same day, he also took a photograph of the entire expedition assembled on the ice.

With Endurance beset above the Antarctic Circle, a pearly glow at midday enlivens the winter sky. A pressure ridge in the pack ice lies between Hurley and the Endurance.

Daily life in the ‘Ritz’, winter 1915. As the warmest part of the ship, the hold of Endurance was cleared and converted to living quarters. Standing on the left is stowaway cum ship’s steward, Perc Blackborrow. Seated in front of Blackborrow is the ship’s carpenter, Harry (Chippy) McNeish. His skills would prove vital to the expedition’s survival.

One of a suite of Hurley portraits of the helpless Endurance. The jumble of great blocks of ice shows the enormous forces at play.

Perhaps Hurley’s most famous photograph of the entire expedition. The Endurance frozen in, trapped solid by the ice of the Weddell Sea. August 1915.

Endurance heels over alarmingly. Sir Ernest Shackleton and skipper Frank Worsley watch the ice breaking up around the ship. October 1915.

In South, Shackleton’s account of the expedition, Hurley’s photograph was simply captioned ‘The End’. In November 1915, the photographer took a great risk entering the half submerged wreck to retrieve his precious negatives and cine film.