Piper Kerr and Emperor penguin. 1902-04. Photographer unknown
Gilbert Kerr was a member of the crew of the “Scotia” on the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition of 1902-04, which was organised and led by Dr. William S. Bruce. Kerr was the official piper of the Expedition, and, in this capacity, was photographed performing in full Highland dress even in the harsh Antarctic environment. The Emperor penguin accompanying him in this particular photograph was tethered to a large cooking-pot packed full of snow. Today Emperor penguins are a protected species, as is all Antarctic wildlife and the Antarctic is a natural reserve. This shot was made into a postcard, and thus became one of the first items ever to be posted from Antarctica. The bagpipes were given by William Bruce (Gilbert Kerr’s assistant) to the 1st Edinburgh Battalion of the Royal Scots in 1914. They were played by Piper Anderson in the Battle of the Somme and were subsequently lost during that action.
