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Mondeo Memories

Join Jenny McConnell in exploring her mementos from the 1994 Ford Overland Challenge New York-London.

A blue beanie hat with a patch that reads 'Ford London - New York Overland Challenge'. There is a brooch shaped like an oyster attached.

In the winter of 1993, a team of adventurers set off from London with one goal: to make the first overland journey to New York. The journey took them through Europe, across Asia, over the frozen sea ice of the Bering Strait to Alaska, through Canada, and finally across the United States; a dizzying distance of 15,800 miles.  

On the team was Belfast student Jenny McConnell (née Ballagh) who participated in the Challenge following her completion of the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. At 21, she was the youngest member of the team. 

Jenny was instrumental in the donation of the Ford Mondeo that she drove during the expedition to the Ulster Transport Museum. She also donated some of the keepssakes that she collected along her travels.

Child's Postcard

A postcard of cartoon bunnies celebrating the new year. The bunnies are pushing a snowman across a frozen pond. The words 'happy new year' are written in Russian on the ice.

This postcard was given to Jenny while travelling through northern Russia. At this time, many places across this region were struggling economically and so a postcard would like this would have been considered very special to a child. The gifting of it to Jenny makes it all the more touching and reflects the kindness shown to the people on the expedition.

Beaded Gloves

A pair of fur gloves with intricate beading on the back of the hands.

Jenny was given these gloves in Alaska. They are made of fur, which highlights the resourcefulness of people living in harsh environments in using every resource available to them, while seeking to avoid waste. The beading suggests that these gloves were given to Jenny by a representative of a local Indigenous community. The land we now call Alaska is the traditional home of more than 200 federally-recognised tribes. 

Solar Eclipse Medal

A coin commemorating the solar eclipse of July 1990. The design features the silhouette of a man wearing antlers; he is playing a drum, which is also the moon in front of the sun in the design. On the back marks the name of the producing company with letters denoting the Yakut Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.

This coin commemorates the solar eclipse of 1990 that was visible from Finland to Alaska. On the back, the letters 'ЯАССР' represent the Yakut Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, an area in the north east of Russia. 

Kayak Carving

A carved wooden kayak in a very simple style.

This carving of a kayak represents a method of transportation used across the Arctic Circle for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Kayaks ('qajaq', or 'qayaq') and umiaqs - which are stylistically closer to what we might call a canoe - were made with animal skin. This carving was given to Jenny in Nome, Alaska. 

Andryushkino History Pamphlets

A series of pamphlets, written in Russian, on the history of a town.

These pamphlets chart the history of Andryushkino, a remote and small village in the deep north east of Russia. 

Husky Bootie

A red bootie for the paw of a dog who will be travelling over snow and ice. A white tie is at the top to keep it in place.

Jenny collected this bootie while she was in Alaska and encountered huskies pulling sleds. The booties kept the paws of the dogs protected from the ice and snow. This type of protection has spread beyond Alaska and is now used by many dog owners around the world to protect their own dogs paws from icy conditions.

A woman smiles out the window of a blue Ford car.

dive deeper

Find out more about the Ford Mondeo, on display in Gallery B.

Wall decoration

A wall hanging featuring painting and beading. The artwork is intricate, with painting and beading. There are words painted on, along with artworks of nature, including the moon, a moose head, and foliage.

A wall hanging that was given to Jenny in Siberia. She was particularly taken by how intricate and artistic this was, and mentioned how touched she was by people's kindness in sharing gifts from their cultures with the team. 

Hat (tubeteika)

A man's hat from Central Asia - the square shape of the rim suggests Uzbekistani in origin.

These hats were common across Central Asian cultures, and are known as tubeteika. Jenny recalls being given this hat in Kazakhstan. 

Ural Automobile Plant Coin

The front and back of a round copper coin. On the front is an embossment of a big truck, and on the back are some mountains and the words 'Ural Automobile Plant, Miass, Russia'.

The Ural Automobile Plant of Miass, Russia, produced the large trucks that assisted the team through the harsh northern landscapes. The trucks were essential for supplies and rest. The team visited the Ural Automobile Plant on their travels, and were gifted these commemorative coins.

Overland Challenge Hat

A close up of a navy blue beanie. The beanie has a badge on it that looks like a flower or a seashell. The logo is a bright yellow, reading 'Ford London-New York Overland Challenge'.

These hats were given to members of the Overland Challenge crew to keep them warm ahead of the cold winter they were facing. Jenny wore hers everyday on the challenge.

Badge

A child's craft. The object is a badge of a child's face, wrapped up warm in a fur hood with a pink bow beneath the chin. The face is childlike, with googly eyes for eyes and a simple red thread making a smile.

This badge was given to Jenny by school children in Ruby, Alaska. 

Jenny's Badges

A blue towel has been used to hold 17 badges, all related to travelling across Europe, Russia, and North America.

These badges were collected by Jenny during the Challenge. We can spot the badges of places she travelled through, ones commemorating the challenge, and ones from significant places such as the Brandenburg Gate.

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