The Library
of Alexandria

A character in The Lost World

Who is Maple White?

By the Library of Alexandria · 2 minute read · Updated 23. Okt 2026

In short

  • Maple White is an American artist whose sketchbook provides evidence of a hidden land in Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World.
  • His drawings show strange creatures, including a huge beast from an age thought to have passed.
  • Professor Challenger believes White draws what he sees, but other scientists do not accept the sketchbook as proof.

Who Maple White is

Maple White is an artist whose drawings help connect the familiar world with the strange plateau in South America. His sketchbook contains scenes and creatures that support Challenger's claim that animals thought extinct still survive there.

White has climbed the plateau, and Challenger believes the pictures record what the artist actually sees. One drawing shows a huge beast belonging to an age the wider world believes is gone.

Maple White and the others in the story

White's connection to Challenger rests on the sketchbook, which becomes a key piece of the professor's evidence. Challenger has lost most of his own notes and photographs, leaving him with little material to support his claims.

When Challenger shows the sketchbook to Edward Malone, the drawings help introduce the possibility of the hidden land. Yet the pictures do not settle the scientific dispute, and an expedition sets out to test Challenger's account.

Questions

Who is Maple White in The Lost World?

Maple White is an American artist whose sketchbook gives Challenger evidence of strange creatures on a remote plateau.

What does Maple White's sketchbook show?

It shows unusual scenes and creatures, including a huge prehistoric beast.

Why does Maple White matter to Challenger?

His drawings support Challenger's claims about surviving prehistoric animals. Other scientists remain unconvinced, so the sketchbook helps frame the need for further evidence.

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