Preparing Collection

Red kite (Milvus milvus) preparing to land. This bird of prey has a wingspan of between 175 and 195 centimetres. This bird of prey is endemic to the western Palearctic ecoregion

St Lucys Day
Saint Lucys day (15 December) The girl chosen to be Lucia carries coffee and cakes to those preparing Christmas gifts and decorations

John Deere tractor pulling soil press, rolling seedbed in arable field, Kelso, Scottish Borders, Scotland, september

Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, polar explorer
Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton (1874 - 1922), Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer. Seen here at the age of 40 in windproof garments

Yuri Gagarin before launch, 1961
Yuri Gagarin before launch, in his flight suit and helmet, in a bus heading toward the Vostok 1 launch site in Kazakhstan, USSR, on 12 April 1961

Chef with Snails
A French chef preparing snails for eating. Date: early 1930s

Man prepares his hair ready for his wedding day - Djibouti, East Africa. Date: 1908

The Pharmacy, 1912 artwork
The Pharmacy (1912). Oil painting by the Swiss artist Marius Borgeaud (1861-1924) titled La Pharmacie (The Pharmacy). The signature and date (1912) are at lower left

Balloon ascent from Seal, near Sevenoaks, Kent
Preparing a balloon for ascent from the Village of Seal, near Sevenoaks, Kent, during which Mr P Cornillot achieved horizontal steering at different heights. 23 August 1825

Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, 1963
Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova preparing to become the first woman in space. Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova (born 1937) flew solo in the Vostok 6 spacecraft on 16 June 1963

Ernest Shackleton preparing for a trans-antarctic expedition
Sir Ernest Shackleton, dressed in kit suited to Antarctic conditions prior to his trans-Antarctic expedition in 1914

The Greek and Roman theatre, Taormina, Sicily, Italy, Europe

Davenport Brothers
Ira Davenport on the left, his brother William on the right : preparing to bind them inside their cabinet are Mr Fay and Mr Cooper, who will ensure that no trickery is involved

Digging Golf Bunker
Men busy preparing the 8th bunker at Princes golf course, Sandwich, Kent, in readiness for the Open Championship in June

18th C French Kitchen
Several cooks work in a French kitchen to prepare and bake pies and pastry, a hare and a bird pie of some kind, perhaps pigeon

Christmas Cookery C1905
Preparing the Christmas dinner for all the family, not forgetting the kitten and the Household Gnome

Scots Witches Prepare
Excited Scottish witches dance to the sound of diabolical bagpipes before flying off to the Sabbat

Typical clay pot, tajine, for cooking traditional Moroccan meals, mud-brick village of Anammer, Ourika Valley, Atlas Mountains, Anammer, Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz, Morocco

French lady getting ready to go out in her boudoir - she check the powder on her nose - " Yes, that is just perfect!" Date: circa 1910s

Three Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR2s from 120, 201 and 206 Squadrons, RAF Kinloss, preparing for the following days flypast over London at the conclusion of the Falklands parade on 12 October 1982

Persian pharmacy, 13th century artwork
Persian pharmacy. 13th century Arabic artwork entitled The Preparation of Medicine from Honey. This image was produced in Baghdad, Iraq, whilst it was still part of the Persian Empire

Playing billiards
Billiardists. Billiardist Morningstar standing at a pool table, preparing to hit a ball with his cue

Swans in a punt at Henley
A punt load of swans, and two cygnets, about to be transported higher up the River Thames for their safety, in preparation for the annual Henley Regatta in early July

Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) perched with spread wings, Boulder County, Colorado, United States of America, North America

Playing billiards
W. Hoppe. Billiardist William F. Hoppe standing at a pool table, preparing to hit a ball with his cue

Playing billiards
W. Hoppe. Billiardist William F. Hoppe standing at a pool table, preparing to hit a ball with his cue

Grated spices. Ginger on a grater next to chopped red chilli, chopped chilli and whole ginger

A Submarine preparing to dive (colour litho)
2811280 A Submarine preparing to dive (colour litho) by Robinson, Charles (1870-1937); Private Collection; (add.info.: A Submarine preparing to dive)

Advertisement, Pears Transparent Soap (engraving)
1621705 Advertisement, Pears Transparent Soap (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Advertisement, Pears Transparent Soap)

WW1 - Troops returning to front, Victoria Station, London
WW1 - British troops gathered by Victoria Station, London. They prepare for their return to the front after leave. Grouped together under the street lights at the station

Kitchen Scene, 1620s. Creator: Peter Wtewael
Kitchen Scene, 1620s. meat on a skewer. The grins of housemaid and errand boy indicate their enjoyment of one anothers company

Preparing for a non-stop flight across the Atlantic. From left: Major Herbert George Brackley, Admiral Mark Kerr and Major Tryggve Gran, cJune 1919. Date: 1919

Arunta tribesmen of central Australia preparing a new corroboree, 1922. Artist: Baldwin Spencer
Arunta tribesmen of central Australia preparing a new corroboree, 1922. For indigenous Australians, the corroboree comes closest to a modern concept of theatre

St Olave Union Workhouse, Ladywell, South London - Dining Ha
The festively decorated dining-hall at the St Olave Union Workhouse, Ladywell, South London - presumably a special occasion such as Christmas or a royal celebration

WW2 - With the W. A. A. F. - Armourers
WW2 - With the W.A.A.F. - Armourers Date: circa 1942

Cheese production, mould filling
Cheese production. Factory worker preparing moulds of cheese. This is the Vologda Dairy Factory, in Vologda, Russia. Photographed in 2007

Soyuz 11 crew before launch, 1971
Soyuz 11 crew before launch. Soviet cosmonauts (left to right) Georgy Dobrovolsky, Viktor Patsayev and Vladislav Volkov at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan

Soviet Katyusha rocket launchers, 1943
Soviet Katyusha rocket launchers, being reloaded by Red Army soldiers in September 1943, during World War II. At this stage in the war

US Civil War observation balloon, 19th century artwork. The balloon, near Gaines Mill, Virginia, USA, is being inflated by gas being piped through tubes from the containers at left

Army diver preparing to enter the water
An army diver preparing to enter the water, while a group of soldiers stand on the bank watching him

Making horse tack in a workshop
Two craftsmen preparing the leatherwork for horse tack; shaping, stretching and sewing the pieces to the correct shape and size. Painting by Malcolm Greensmith

Fishermen on Kendwa Beach, Zanzibar, Tanzania, East Africa, Africa

Man preparing breakfast, watched by dogs and a cat, Medina, Venezuela, South America

Potters Quarter, Bhaktapur (Bhadgaun), Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, Asia

Tea ceremony by a Maiko (trainee geisha), Kyoto, Honshu Island, Japan, Asia

Village scene, Toba Bataks, North Sumatra, Sumatra, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

A mother getting the children ready for a neighborhood birthday party, Washington, D. C. 1942. Creator: Gordon Parks
Washington, D.C. A mother getting the children ready for a neighborhood birthday party

Preparations for a Feast, 1575-1625. Creator: Unknown
Preparations for a Feast, 1575-1625

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"Preparing for the unknown: From Red Kite to Shackleton's Quest" As St. Lucy's Day dawns, a sense of anticipation fills the air. Just like Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, the legendary polar explorer who meticulously planned his expeditions, we too find ourselves preparing for our own unique journeys. In Kent's picturesque countryside, a balloon ascends from Seal, near Sevenoaks. The crew carefully prepares every detail, mirroring Shackleton's attention to even the smallest hints of preparation. Meanwhile, in Djibouti, a man delicately styles his hair in anticipation of his wedding day. Much like Chef with Snails expertly crafting a culinary masterpiece or Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova readying herself for her historic space mission in 1963 - these individuals understand that preparation is key to success. Stepping back in time to 1912 artwork "The Pharmacy, " we witness pharmacists diligently preparing remedies and potions to heal their community. Similarly meticulous are golfers digging bunkers on their favorite course or billiards players lining up their shots with precision. On tranquil waters at Henley Regatta, swans gracefully glide through punts as rowers prepare themselves mentally and physically for the race ahead. But it is perhaps Ernest Shackleton who epitomizes preparation best as he readies himself for an audacious trans-Antarctic expedition. Like him, we must gather our resources and equip ourselves with knowledge and determination before embarking on any endeavor. Whether it be soaring through the skies like Red Kites or venturing into uncharted territories like Shackleton did over a century ago - let us remember that thorough preparation lays the foundation for extraordinary achievements that will forever echo throughout history.