ABSTRACT
The illustrated lecture circuit in Antwerp and Brussels boomed at the beginning of the twentieth century. As was the case in other modernizing cities, a variety of different associations organized lectures on broadly debated issues, disseminating all sorts of knowledge and ideas to a wide audience. The great explorations of this period, which focused on both polar regions and mountain peaks, were exemplary for this trend. The use of the projection lantern played a significant role in this evolution because it allowed the audience to not only obtain (new) knowledge but also get a clear impression of what explorers and mountaineers had experienced. Moreover, the discussion and visualization of these voyages of discovery cannot be separated from underlying motivations, such as promoting nationalism and democratic education, as well as spreading middle-class ideals and ideas about masculinity. By examining illustrated lectures on polar exploring and mountaineering in the Belgian lecture circuit, this chapter seeks to explore how the different layers merged. The lecture performances were complex and consisted of multiple levels of meaning.
