“The photograph shows the five men reaching the South Pole and taking a selfie,” said Cecile Gasselholm from auction house Sotheby’s.
“When we say selfie, they had an automatic trigger for the camera. There were five of them and they all wanted to be in the photo.
“You can almost see the disappointment in their faces. (Norwegian explorer) Roald Amundsen had already reached the South Pole 34 days earlier.
“They saw the tent and the note that Amundsen had left for them. They must have between very disappointed.”
The photo was taken in January 1912 and is expected to sell for around £1,200.
The men started the 900-mile journey back after the crushing realisation they had been beaten to their goal of being the first to reach the Pole, but in the harsh conditions they all died before reaching home.
A silver spoon and fork from the same expedition is also up for sale
Among other items going under the hammer is a photo of explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, showing him dishevelled after returning from the Antarctic.
It is expected to go for £5,000 when the auction takes place in London on 14 November.
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