Antarctic Item 062 | Jamesways Part 1

I'm back to posting my Antarctic object collection, with a focus this week on fabric. First up: A roof blanket cover (or part thereof) for Jamesway huts commonly used in Antarctic science camps. Jamesways are Korean War-era Quonset hut-shaped structures. Unlike their metal cousins however, Jamesways use wooden arches covered by insulated cloth. The image above (from January 14, for readers experiencing a sense of déjà vu) shows a typical example of the structure. Officially called Tent Frame Insulated Sectional M-1948, the Jamesway was created by the James Manufacturing Company of Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin for the Army Air Corps. It was specifically designed for polar weather conditions which require rapid construc- tion and adequate protection from wind and cold. The standard size is 16 feet square, further expandable lengthwise by four-foot segments. Most wonderful to me is that its wooden packing crates were designed for reuse as the hut floor -- recalling Shackle- ton's own repurposing of packing crates. Talk about déjà vu! A Jamesway's interior can be as simple as our post-survival training retreat shown above. Or it can contain several sections: sleeping quarters, a washing area, a kitchen, a lab; areas often separated by heavy curtains. Is there anything these structures aren't capable of? Well, yes. Jamesways are deemed inadequate for permanent Antarctic housing due to privacy, space, light, and energy efficiency limitations, and were phased out as McMurdo berthing altogether by 1990. Still, they live on as useful structures in field camps and at South Pole Station, and tomorrow we'll look at what keeps them warm... to a degree.