FORGOTTEN FRIDTJOF

WELCOME!

I’m Lauren Alex O’Hagan, a Research Fellow at The Open University/Örebro University and a bit of a Fridtjof Nansen obsessive!

As those who know me well will tell you, I don’t do things by halves! A life-changing visit to the Fram Museum transformed my casual interest in polar exploration into a full-blown obsession – and at the heart of it was Nansen. I was amazed by his many achievements beyond polar exploration, and frankly disgusted with myself that I hadn’t heard of him sooner. From that moment, I devoured everything I could about him.

Tired of the constant “Who?” whenever I mentioned his name to friends or colleagues and frustrated at how easily his story seems erased from history, I vowed to do something about it. And so… Forgotten Fridtjof was born.

This blog is in a similar vein to my other side hustle and passion project, Rewriting Rory, which shines a positive light on the last ten years in the career of my favorite musician, Rory Gallagher. However, it will be a bit more informal, with random musings posted sporadically, rather than structured, research-driven series published multiple times a month.

Just as with Rory, I’m also gradually weaving Nansen into my academic work as I explore polar history through the lens of visual and material culture, with a particular focus on advertisements and sheet music covers. I will add these publications here as they become available.

Thank you for visiting – I hope you enjoy the site and learn more about Nansen’s extraordinary life and adventures!

Email: forgottenfridtjof@gmail.com