The Icebreaker. A tribute to Monica Kristensen.

As expedition leader for the 90 degrees South expedition in 1986, Monica Kristensen becomes world famous: she is the first woman in the world to lead a polar expedition.

This exhibition focuses on three aspects of Kristensen's career: as researcher, expedition leader and author. The common denominator for all three is the fascination for the polar regions. She has led eight expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic, she has published ten books - non-fiction and crime novels - with themes from the polar regions, and she has published a large number of scientific articles as a glaciologist.

Driven by a strong desire to know and an unstoppable desire to work, she has broken through career barriers and prejudices. Hence the exhibition title "The Icebreaker".

Monica Kristensen (b. 1950), who grew up in Kongsvinger, has kindly lent us objects, documents and photographs to the exhibition at the Women's Museum. Most of the material has never before been shown publicly. A large number of the objects have been packed away for the past 25 years and represent a unique story. The red “pyramid” tent that Monica used on the 90 degrees South expedition can, among other things, be studied up close.