I’ve always been fascinated by routine, mundane activities and infrastructure in extraordinary contexts.
It’s why I’ve gleefully written about the everyday realities of life and how they play out in Antarctica – topics such as laundry, wastewater infrastructure, credit card fraud, voting, automated teller machines, mud, and doors.
In the seven months I’ve been at the South Pole so far, I’ve kept up my fascination with the day-to-day tasks involved in keeping the station going. Yes, we’re at the actual, real-life South Pole. Yes, it’s -100°F outside. Yes, we’re isolated for 8 months straight.
Yes, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and an extraordinary, novel set of circumstances.
But also – We live here! And living in a place means that it will develop a certain rhythm. A certain set of norms, customs, fault lines, battle scars, inside jokes, remembrances. Day-to-day reminders of the folks who have left their mark on this place over the years.
We still fight over slammed doors. We still do routine custodial tasks. We still have fire alarms, plumbing leaks, coffee spills, movie nights. Spreadsheets. Labeling schemes. Workflows and processes, official and unofficial.
We have signs because Bad Things happened once, and now they’re immortalized forever with homegrown, earnest warnings. We have formal OSHA signage; we have earnest hand-scrawled pleas.
Signs that make you scratch your head. Signs that could exist in a suburban office park anywhere on earth. Signs that can only exist at the South Pole.
In my opinion, the signage here at the South Pole provides a fascinating glimpse into our day-to-day routines, without indulging in voyeuristic overreach or violating anyone’s privacy. People live here, and we deserve a quiet life.
But – this place is also fascinating, and I think signage is a fun, respectful, and quirky way to explore it.
I hope you enjoy viewing these photos as much as I enjoyed taking them.
Table of contents
- Warehousing, Operations, Industrial Safety
- Fire Safety
- Food and Drink
- Electrical
- Don’t Slam the Door
- Turn off the Lights
- Waste Management
- Utilities
- Workshops
- Laundry
- Uniquely South Pole
- Miscellaneous
Warehousing, Operations, Industrial Safety
Fire Safety
Food and Drink
Electrical
Don’t Slam the Door
Turn off the Lights
Waste Management
Utilities
Workshops
Laundry
Uniquely South Pole
Miscellaneous
And there you have it! A brief, haphazard tour of South Pole Station, told exclusively through station signage.
I hope others found this as interesting as I did.
Until next time!