Yorkshire Museum brings adventures of volcano chaser back to life

A keen mountaineer, a renowned photographer, an eminent eye surgeon and above all a famous “volcano chaser”, he captured the hearts and minds of Yorkshire’s society during the Victorian era and into the 20th century. The Yorkshire Post revealed in July that his exploits are being recounted at the Yorkshire Museum in York in an exhibition to commemorate the 100 years since his death on August 26, 1913.

Visitors are now being given the chance to hear first hand some of his daring adventures, including witnessing the aftermath of the 20th century’s worst volcanic eruption on the Caribbean island of Martinique in 1902. Actor Chris Cade will be taking on the character of Anderson, who was born in York in 1846, during the half-term break until Friday in the museum’s Reading Room.

The assistant curator of science and archaeology, Emma Williams, said: “Tempest Anderson was one of York’s pioneering figures and made valuable contributions to medicine, photography and volcanology. It was the latter for which he became particularly well known and he travelled all over the world to see the latest eruptions – sometimes risking his life.”