captains & sailors,  kilts,  photography,  vintage

Serenading a penguin

Piper Kerr serenading a penguin, 25 March 1904. Image from the second voyage of William Speirs Bruce’s Scottish National Antarctic Expedition. “Bruce dressed up Gilbert Kerr, the ship’s piper, in full Highland gear and got him out on the ice and produced a penguin,” said David Munro, [of the Scottish Royal Geographical Society]. “The idea was they were going to play it jigs, strathspeys, reels, slow marches, etc, and see if the penguin had any reaction. “It stood unmoved. Of course, it’s largely unmoved because it’s tied to the foot of the piper.”

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