✖

The Gallery holds the most extensive collection of portraits in the world. Search over 215,000 works, 150,000 of which are illustrated from the 16th Century to the present day.

Search the Collection

Edward Leicester Atkinson

(1882-1929), Surgeon; member of British Antarctic Expedition, 1910-1913

Sitter in 2 portraits
The Royal Navy surgeon Atkinson joined Captain Scott 's Terra Nova expedition as medical officer and parasitologist. He travelled to within 293 miles of the Pole as part of the support party for the final push. On his return to the base-camp at Cape Evans leadership fell to him as sole remaining officer. He led the search party that found the bodies of Scott, Wilson and Bowers on 12 November 1912. Scott wrote: 'Atkinson is quietly pursuing the subject of parasites. Already he is in a new world…Constantly he comes to me to ask me if I would like to see some new form, and I am taken to see some protozoon or ascidian isolated on the slide plate of his microscope.'

Tell us More

List Thumbnail

Captain Scott's Birthday Dinner, 6 June 1911, by Herbert George Ponting - NPG P1100

Captain Scott's Birthday Dinner, 6 June 1911

by Herbert George Ponting
carbon print, 6 June 1911
NPG P1100

Edward Leicester Atkinson, by Herbert George Ponting - NPG P1364

Edward Leicester Atkinson

by Herbert George Ponting
gelatin silver print, 15 September 1911
NPG P1364

Category

Groups

Place

Tell us more back to top

Can you tell us more about this person? Spotted an error, information that is missing (a sitter’s life dates, occupation or family relationships, or a date of portrait for example) or do you know anything that we don't know? If you have information to share please complete the form below.

If you require information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service. If you wish to license an image, please use our Rights and Images service.

Please note that we cannot provide valuations.

We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.

What can you tell us?close

There are occasions when we are unsure of the identity of a sitter or artist, their life dates, occupation or have not recorded their family relationships. Sometimes we have not recorded the date of a portrait. Do you have specialist knowledge or a particular interest about any aspect of the portrait or sitter or artist that you can share with us? We would welcome any information that adds to and enhances our information and understanding about a particular portrait, sitter or artist.

Citationclose

How do you know this? Please could you let us know your source of information.

* Permission to publish (Privacy information)
Privacy Informationclose

The National Portrait Gallery will NOT use your information to contact you or store for any other purpose than to investigate or display your contribution. By ticking permission to publish you are indicating your agreement for your contribution to be shown on this collection item page. Please note your email address will not be displayed on the page nor will it be used for any marketing material or promotion of any kind.

Please ensure your comments are relevant and appropriate. Your contributions must be polite and with no intention of causing trouble. All contributions are moderated.

Your Emailclose

Contributions are moderated. We'll need your email address so that we can follow up on the information provided and contact you to let you know when your contribution has been published.