PVLD Adult Services Blog

Marooned in an African village in 1871, most of his expedition deserting him or dead, explorer David Livingstone penned a despairing letter to a friend in England.  Written with improvised ink on pages from newspapers and books, the letter was indecipherable until now.

19^th century journalism portrayed Livingstone as a fearless hero, an intrepid icon of the Victorian era.  Using such tools as spectral imaging, a research team’s work “makes [Livingstone] human,” a “politically incorrect” man at the low point of his career, but who nonetheless “never gave up.”

Library resources: Dr. David Livingstone