Stranded at the Top of the World

Mary R. Tahan is a Writer, Producer, and Documentarian, with a professional background in journalism and marketing. Internationally renowned for her informational and educational series, she has authored scholarly articles and historical books, and produced/directed documentary films. Her books, articles, and lectures/presentations focus on Antarctica and the Arctic. As part of her research for her films and books on Polar exploration, Mary R. Tahan was awarded a residency and traveled to Antarctica by invitation of the Direccio´n Nacional del Anta´rtico (Instituto Anta´rtico Argentino), where she performed on-site photography and videography of the Antarctic landscape, wildlife, and historical sites, as well as conducted interviews with scientists and curators. Her research has also taken her to Argentina, Norway, France, Russia, and England, where she has also interviewed descendants of early explorers of the Arctic and Antarctic. She has presented her work at SCAR and EHAL conferences, as well as at other international venues, and at CADIC-CONICET.
Cornelia Lüdecke is a retired Professor for History of Natural Sciences at the University of Hamburg. She focuses on the history of polar research, meteorology, and oceanography. Since 1991, she is leading the German History of Polar Research Working Group. In 2001, she became Vice President and (2006-2009) President of the International Commission on History of Meteorology. In 2004, she founded the Action (later Expert) Group on History of Antarctic Research within SCAR, which she led until 2018. From 2012-2021, she was one of Vice Presidents of the International Commission on History of Oceanography. In the same year, she became Corresponding Member of the International Academy of the History of Science in Paris. She received the Reinhard Süring Medal in 2010 and the Paulus Award in 2019 both from the German Meteorological Society.