Internet to spread fame of traveller

But now thanks to an internet agreement the travels of York adventurer, Tempest Anderson, are set to be catapulted onto the world stage a hundred years on from his death.

During his life the ophthalmic surgeon, who was an expert amateur photographer and vulcanologist, travelled the world photographing volcanoes erupting and the people who lived close to them.

A spokesman for York Museums Trust, whose Tempest Anderson collection includes some 5,000 glass slides and numerous books and scientific papers, said: “Anderson is little known outside of Yorkshire, but now a partnership with Wikimedia UK will see much more information and images put on the Wikipedia page about him.”

The partnership between York Museums Trust and the creators of Wikipedia will see more information and images about Dr Anderson put on his Wikipedia page.

To do this, a new part-time temporary paid role has been created at the Trust, with potential candidates having until Sunday to apply. For further information go to www.yorkmuseumstrust.org.uk

Martin Fell, digital team leader, said: “Our partnership with Wikimedia UK will investigate using Wikipedia to boost access to images and information on our collections using a global platform.

“We are delighted to be working with them on this project which will initially be used to raise the profile of one of York’s real characters.”

Such was Anderson’s dedication to his adventures that by 1900, he had visited and photographed most of the European volcanoes and had also travelled to the USA and to Iceland.

In 1902 The Royal Society asked him to accompany Dr Flett, of the Geological Survey, to study recent eruptions in the West Indies. During the trip he observed types of pyroclastic eruptions, and was one of the first to compare them with avalanches which he had seen in the Alps.

Anderson’s findings were described in a major paper published by the Royal Society.