1. Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. Close View of Two Umiaks on the Water. Rauner Special Collections Library 1879-1962. Stefansson Collection [stem226_323]
Shown above is a lantern slide of two umiaks full of Inuit men on the open water, taken by Vilhjalmur Stefansson during the Anglo-American Polar Expedition (1906-1908). Two important elements of this photo are the umiaks, constructed of animal skin stretched over a wooden frame, and the Inuit’s clothing, made from Caribou skins. The Anglo-American Polar Expedition was Stefansson’s first major trip to the Arctic and set the stage for much of his future research.
2. Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. Hunters of the Great North. New York : Harcourt, Brace, c1922. (p. 86-87) [G670 1906 .S3]
Pictured here are Kipagmiut Inuit, Roxy and his wife, who were Vilhjalmur Stefansson’s key informants during his first ethnographic encounter with Inuit during the winter of 1906-07 in the Mackenzie region, Northwest Territories, Canada. Although Stefansson originally intended to study the Inuit to bring western expansion northward, his early fieldwork served as the foundation of his following research, which ultimately shaped his legacy in creating the discourse of a “friendly” Arctic. This image was found in Hunters of the Great North, written by Vilhjalmur Stefansson and published in 1922.
3. Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. My Life with the Eskimo. New York : Collier, 1962, c1913. (p. 332-333) [G 670 1908 .A34 c.3]
In this photo, Stefansson captures the hunting methods of the Eskimo as they bring ashore a bearded seal at Langton Bay. The image provides some insight to understanding the tools and skills that were used by Eskimo hunters, and illustrates their tradition of hauling their large marine kills ashore to share with the entire community. This photo was from Stefansson’s 1913 book, My Life with the Eskimo.
4. Muller, J. W., 1919. Six months adrift on an Arctic floe : Storker Storkerson’s first report of the most sensational exploit in the history of Arctic adventure–five daring men without provisions survive 184 days on the drifting Arctic ice by hunting. Rauner Stefansson Collection [001437]
This chart reveals the date and location of several boats on the famous Canadian Arctic Expedition (1913-18). Perhaps most noticeable is the drift of the Karluk, the vessel used by the expedition’s Northern Party, which eventually sank near Wrangel Island after it was damaged by ice and fierce weather. This chart also reveals the extensive expanses of polar land covered by Stefansson’s Canadian Arctic Expedition.
5. Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. The Karluk just before she sank. Rauner Special Collections Library 1913-23. Stefansson Collection [stem229_050]
This image illustrates the 1913 entrapment of the Karluk, just before she sank. Stefansson’s alleged desertion of her crew remains one of the most controversial events in Stefansson’s career. His apparent under-preparation, improper staffing, abandonment of his team and ultimate diversion of responsibility for the disaster was intensely scrutinized by his contemporaries. However, in spite of the criticism, Stefansson succeeded in gaining popularity: the loss of the Karluk became overshadowed by his discovery of several Arctic Islands, as well as his push for the Canadian occupation of the North and his publication of the book, The Friendly Arctic: The Story of Five Years in Polar Regions, published in 1932.
6. Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. Erol Lorne Knight’s grave. Rauner Special Collections Library 1906-07. Stefansson Collection [stem226_097]
This photo depicts Erol Lorne Knight’s grave on Wrangel Island, a reminder of the failed Wrangel Island Expedition of 1921. Vilhjalmur Stefansson’s poor planning and leadership left the group without a supply ship or a contingency plan, resulting in the casualties of four of five members on the field team: Lorne Knight, Milton Galle, Fred Maurer, and Allan Crawford. The sole survivor was an Inuit woman, Ada Blackjack, who was hired to accompany the four men. Blackjack built this grave after the last man died and was rescued two months later in August of 1923. Stefansson denied responsibility for the fiasco, despite his role in encouraging and planning the expedition.