1. Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. Unpublished. Baffin Island Kayak, from Cape Dorset Museum of the American Indian Kayak distorted slightly. In Encyclopedia Arctica. (Volume 9: Transportation and communications, (fig. 20)) [Vol_IX-0068]
This Inuit kayak made from animal skin shows the intricacy of native technological development in the Arctic. The deliberate design of this boat to optimize stability, flexibility, and efficiency for use in hunting show how the Inuit adapted to and overcame the severe limitations of living in the far North. This supports Stefansson’s claim that the Inuit were highly capable of creating a comfortable life for themselves in the frigid areas of the Northern Hemisphere.
2. Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. Unpublished. U.S.C.G. Eastwind. In Encyclopedia Arctica. (Volume 9: Transportation and communications, (fig. 186)) [Vol_IX-0186]
This image is the midship section of the U.S.C.G.C. Eastwind from the Encyclopedia Arctica. A product of five nations’ worth of knowledge, the Eastwind stood as the most advanced icebreaker of her time. The development of Arctic transportation and naval technology was driven by increased infrastructure and geopolitical interest. The Eastwind, along with the seven other ships of her class, ushered in a new era for the Arctic, an era of politics.
3. Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. Unpublished. Mean Temperature (°F) January. In Encyclopedia Arctica. (Volume 7: Meteorology and Oceanography, (fig. 426)) [Vol_VII-0426]
Section 7 of the Encyclopedia Arctica focuses on meteorological and oceanographic developments in the Arctic. The sub-section focusing on “Canadian Meteorology” details the history of meteorological development and compiles meteorological data into accessible figures and graphs, such as the one above which represents the mean temperatures (Fahrenheit) in the Canadian Arctic in the months of January and March. These images are the pinnacle of the vast quantities of data in the Encyclopedia Arctica, and illustrate an aspect of the human understanding of the Arctic at Stefansson’s time.