Beechey Island graves

Calotype photograph of the graves of Petty Officer John Torrington, Royal Marine Private William Braine, and Able Seaman John Hartnell on Beechey Island. Part of the crew of the Franklin Expedition, which set off to discover the North West Passage in 1845, the men died in the early stages of the expedition. They were buried when the Franklin Expedition made its first winter encampment on Beechey Island, in what is now the Nunavut territory of Canada.

After hearing no word of the expedition for two years, three search parties were sent out in 1848. Further search parties, sent out in 1850, discovered signs of Franklin's encampment and the graves. This very early photograph of the graves shows the grave markers were painted black with white lettering, as described by those who saw them when they were discovered. Subsequently, the grave markers weathered until they were unreadable. They have since been replaced by new markers.

This photograph is part of a scrapbook which was probably created by Lady Jane Franklin to record the efforts made to find her husband and his crew.