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20 Vintage Photos of Famous Explorers (1800s-1900s)

History Vintage Photos May 28, 2025

Last Updated on May 28, 2025 by Matt Staff

Take a trip on a visual expedition across oceans, deserts, and icy frontiers with this collection of 20 vintage photos of some of the world’s most infamous explorers. It’s just remarkable that we have as many vintage photos of such proactive explorers from so long ago in the first place.

1. Giles Healey, a famed explorer from the early 1900s

A black-and-white photo showing a man in a light shirt standing between two Indigenous people with long hair, all looking at the camera. The background appears to be natural or forested.
anonymous

2. An 1890s British explorer, Tom Crean

A man in a thick sweater sits in front of a wooden door, holding four fluffy puppies in his arms. He has a pipe in his mouth and looks directly at the camera.
karmafish

3. Aloha Wanderwell, a Canadian explorer, author, filmmaker, and aviator

A woman in a vintage aviator outfit stands beside a large ship’s wheel on a boat, with coiled ropes and water visible in the background. She appears thoughtful and gazes off to the side.
carelesspspring6764

4. Roald Amundsen, an explorer from 1899

A person stands in the snow wearing a full fur parka and hood, fur pants, and boots, holding a long wooden staff, against a wintry, cloudy background. The image is in black and white.
artnrestore

5. Fridtjof Nansen, a Norweigan explorer and also a champion skier

A serious-looking man with light hair and a thick mustache wears a heavy fur coat and looks directly at the camera in this sepia-toned, vintage portrait.
ablazer

6. Richard Halliburton, a world famous explorer

A black-and-white photo shows a worker wearing a helmet and jacket sitting on metal cables high above water, with distant hills and bridge construction equipment visible in the background.
nategolon

7. Frank Bickerton, an English treasure-hunter and Antarctic explorer

A black and white portrait of a man with short hair, a mustache, and a beard, wearing a sweater and a scarf tied around his neck, looking slightly to the side with a serious expression.
icecreamlakestream

8. Explorer, Robert Peary, back in the early 1900s

A man in a thick fur coat and boots stands on the deck of a wooden ship, with masts and rigging visible behind him. The weather appears cold and overcast.
theantiinfluencer190

9. Christian Leden, a Norwegian explorer in 1909

A person with a blond beard and blue eyes looks directly at the camera, wearing a hooded fur coat against a blurred gray background.
rishicolors

10. Famed explorer, Sir Richard Francis Burton

A sepia-toned portrait of a stern-looking man with a full beard and mustache, short hair, and a visible scar on his cheek, dressed in a high-collared coat.
dannydutch1

11. Matthew Henson, a Polar explorer in 1909

A man wearing a thick fur parka sits outdoors, holding a tool or stick. The background shows wooden planks, suggesting the side of a building. The man appears calm and focused.
9tailnate

12. An Antarctic explorer in the early 1900s

A person bundled in heavy clothing stands on a sled pulled by seven huskies across a snowy landscape, with shadows extending in front of them under an overcast sky.
ipostonwednesdays

13. Fritjof Nansen, a Norweigan explorer

A bearded man stands in snow in front of a log cabin, wearing heavy winter clothing, a hat, boots, and holding a long pole. Mountains with patches of snow are visible in the background.
anonymous

14. Young Prince Alemayehu of Ethiopia with his guardian British explorer, Tristram Speedy, in 1868

A bearded man in traditional clothing with fur and a decorated headpiece sits with a young child on his lap. The child wears a necklace and patterned clothing. The man holds a round shield. Both face the camera in a sepia-toned photo.
deleted

15. Arctic Explorer, Peter Freuchen and his wife Dagmar Gale, circa 1947

A bearded man in an oversized fur coat stands confidently with hands on hips next to a seated woman in a dark dress and hat. The background is plain and grey, highlighting their contrasting poses and attire.
punkup7

16. Royal Naval Officer and Polar explorer, Lieutenant Graham Gore (early 1800s)

Black-and-white photo of a man in a 19th-century military uniform with epaulettes and a cap, arms crossed, looking to the side with a serious expression.
traveledfarwestward

17. Gustaf Nordenskiold, a Swedish explorer in the 1800s

Black and white photo of a man with a mustache, wearing a suit and a fur-trimmed overcoat, standing and looking slightly to the side. The image shows visible creases and damage.
ostenkvit

18. Another shot of Fridtjof Nansen, a famed Scandinavian explorer

Sepia-toned portrait of a stern-looking man in a buttoned, high-collar suit with arms crossed, standing against a plain backdrop.

19. Famed explorer, Aloha Wanderwell in Egypt, 1935

A woman stands in front of the Great Sphinx of Giza and a pyramid, holding a hat and smiling at the camera, with a clear sky in the background.
ultimatelazer

20. Helge Marcus Ingstad, a Norwegian explorer in the 1920s

Black and white portrait of a man with short hair wearing a fur-trimmed coat, looking slightly to the side with a serious expression.
mrlapast

Explore more vintage content:

Inspired to chart more unmapped horizons? Trek westward with our gallery of 20 Vintage Photos From Yellowstone National Park to see how early tourists braved geysers and grizzlies at America’s first national park. Then lift off into the clouds with 23 Photos Capturing the Golden Age of Aviation (1919-1939).

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