Photo Essay Examines Artistic Documentation on Captain Cook's Endeavour Voyage

A photo essay titled 'Captain Cook's Imaginary Machine' by Chris Bond and Harriet Parsons was published in ARTMargins on October 15, 2025. The work explores how artistic practice during Captain Cook's Endeavour expedition contributed to imperialist objectives by transforming observations into objects desired by Europeans. The authors investigate creative documentation processes aboard the ship, examining drawing conditions and recorded discourses. As part of their research, Chris Bond constructed a replica of an artist's cabin from the Endeavour using plywood based on original plans. Harriet Parsons photographed unpublished drawings and manuscripts housed at London's Natural History Museum. This essay forms part of an ongoing project that applies contemporary artistic perspectives to art historical analysis of exploration voyages. The article appears in Volume 14, Issue 3 of ARTMargins, spanning pages 97-112, with digital access available through MIT Press.