The Victorian era was an era in which adventurous souls set out to fill in the "white spaces" on the map of the world. Actually, Victorian explorations, travels and expeditions occurred for a variety of reasons. Some explorations were undertaken by missionaries, seeking to bring God's Word to peoples and cultures that, thus far, no one had even met yet. Others explored in search of economic gain. Still others sought to test new technologies - the options available for exploring by balloon, for example, or new methods of penetrating the Arctic and Antarctic. And others simply sought the thrill of adventure and the fame of having been the first to reach some new and undiscovered country.

The Last Journals of David Livingstone (Harper's Monthly, 1875A)

Frank Hatton in North Borneo, by Joseph Hatton (Century Magazine, 1885B)

David Livingstone, by W.G. Blaikie (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1886)

George Kennan, by Anna Laurens Dawes (Century Magazine, 1888B)

A writer and reporter best known for his study of the Russian prison system in Siberia, Kennan was also one of the first American explorers of Siberia itself.

Aconcagua and the Volcanic Andes, by Sir Martin Conway (Harper's Monthly, 1889)

[Stanley] The White Pasha, by Noah Brooks (St. Nicholas, 1889)

The New School of Explorers (Century Magazine, 1890B)

Illustrated Interviews: Sir Clements Markham and the Royal Geographical Society, by William G. FitzGerald (The Strand, 1897A)

Illustrated Interviews: Sir Martin Conway, by Framley Steelcroft (The Strand, 1897A)

Artist and Himalayan explorer/mountain climber.

The Latest Great Explorer: Dr. Sven Hedin's Own Account of His Life and Travels in the East, by Robert Sherard (Windsor, 1898A)

The Ascent of Aconcagua, by E.A. Fitzgerald (The Strand, 1898B)

The first account of how E.A. Fitzgerald's party climbed the highest peak ever yet ascended, Aconcagua in the Andes.

Over the Alps in a Balloon, by Charles Herbert (The Strand, 1899B)

The exploits and photographs of Captain Edward Spelterini.

See also

• Arctic & Antarctic Explorations

• People: Adventurers and Explorers