Catalogue description Harold 'Hal' Lister papers

This record is held by Cambridge University: Scott Polar Research Institute

Details of MS 2234
Reference: MS 2234
Title: Harold 'Hal' Lister papers
Description:

Professional papers of Dr. Harold 'Hal' Lister including Arctic, Antarctic and Afghanistan expedition correspondence, data and reports; general research notes and lab work; drafts of academic publications - journal articles and textbooks; teaching notes and lectures
Date: 1950-2004
Arrangement:

The papers are arranged into Expedition files (MS 2234/1-8); Research files - general and specific projects (MS 2234/9-12); Publishing files - articles, textbooks and chapters (MS 2234/13-14); Teaching files (MS 2234/15). Each set of files is broadly chronological and papers within each file retain their original order
Held by: Cambridge University: Scott Polar Research Institute, not available at The National Archives
Legal status: Not Public Record(s)
Language: Mainly English but with papers in Swedish, French, Norwegian, Danish, Spanish and German
Creator:

Lister, Hal, (1921-2010), geographer, polar explorer
Physical description: 11 boxes; 2 volumes
Access conditions:

Access to our collections is by prior appointment. See our web site for details https://www.spri.cam.ac.uk/archives/
Subjects:
  • Arctic expeditions
  • Antarctic expeditions
  • Glaciology
Administrative / biographical background:

Hal Lister was a Glaciologist, Geographer and Explorer. He served in both the Merchant Navy and Royal Navy during World War II before going on to study pure Science at King's College, Durham University. During this time he organised summer field trips to Iceland, Norway and Sweden. He moved to Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge in 1950 to undertake PhD research in the Department of Geography. This was interupted by his participation in the British North Greenland Expedition 1952-54, during which he spent an isolated winter in the middle of the Greenland icecap at 'North Ice'. Hal's PhD - Regime of a High Arctic Glacier - was awarded in 1956 and soon after he joined the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition 1955-58 as glaciologist, leading the party which over-wintered at South Ice in 1957, 300 miles inland from Shackleton Base, and crossing the continent with the main expedition party. He spent the rest of his career as a lecturer and subsequently Reader in Geography at Newcastle University, conducting research, teaching and leading field trips locally and to the Arctic, Afghanistan and Iran. He pioneered research into the recession of glaciers in both polar regions as well as at high altitudes in low latitudes. Hal retired in 1986/87 but remained an active member of the academic community for many years. He was involved with the International Glaciological Society and various charities which organised expeditions for young people including the British Schools Exploration Society and the Young Explorers Trust

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