Endurance recreation using set #10335

I have always loved old sailing ships and the incredible stories born out of humanity’s insatiable desire for exploration! This is why Sir Ernest Shackleton and his ship, the Endurance, quickly captured my imagination.

Thanks to the Budapest LEGO Store, I managed to get my hands on LEGO Endurance set #10335 which certainly deserves a special mention. At first glance, it might seem like a monotonous build—it’s not very colorful and consists of a single structure. But let me assure you, it’s incredibly enjoyable to build! The set is full of clever and exciting building techniques, making the assembly process a true pleasure. There’s only one thing I felt was missing: the rigging. There are two long ropes running along the masts, but for a ship like this, I would have expected more. That’s about the only critique I have of the entire set. It’s a stunning centerpiece for my home, and I look at it with joy every single day.

LEGO Endurance set #10335

Whenever I start working on a series with a historical background—especially one that genuinely interests me—I dive in headfirst, trying to pour all my knowledge and passion into the project.

First, I studied archival photographs. Fortunately, one of the crew members was a photographer who, let’s just say, had plenty of time to take pictures during their nearly two-year-long icy captivity. The photos reveal that, despite their dire circumstances, the crew still had many joyful moments. For example, my football-themed shot wasn’t made up—they actually passed the time by playing football matches.

I wanted the pictures to follow a sequence, so the first one shows the ship with its sails unfurled, just before the ice trapped it. Next comes a scene where the ship is caught in the ice, and the crew is trying to free it (I made sure to tilt the ship slightly to the right, just as it happened in real life).

Then I imagined an evening scene, followed by the more relaxed “we’re adapting to the situation” football shot. Two of the pictures include the dogs, as they were key players in the expedition. Sadly, their fate was tragic, but their role was crucial in helping the crew survive the harshest days. I wanted to pay tribute to them as well.

The final picture depicts the crew venturing into the unknown (after the Endurance sank), trying to make their way back to civilization using the remaining lifeboats. Months later, Shackleton successfully rescued everyone from Elephant Island, and every single crew member survived.

Behind the scenes

For all the pictures, I used powdered sugar to simulate small and large snowdrifts and ice chunks—it worked perfectly. These photos were truly created in front of the camera, with real lamp light and fire for the evening shot. You can even see how it all came together in the behind-the-scenes video.