IDNO

P.86134.PAT

Description

Two expedition members on the deck of the Isbjørn using a makeshift sextant constructed of two pieces of wood with a graduated angle of 60o. H. Carmichael is keeping the horizontal bar in position, while Dymond operates the other arm. James Wordie watches on.

Place

N America; Arctic; Greenland; ?Davis Strait; ?Disko Bay; ?Cape Wrath

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

E.G.Dymond; H. Carmichael

Photographer

None

Collector / Expedition

Paterson, Thomas Thompson

Date

15 September - 1 October, 1937

Collection Name

Paterson Collection

Source

Paterson, Erik T.

Format

Print Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

Related Image: Similar image mounted in James Wordie’s 1937 album with the number and caption:
“September 15 to October 1”
810. “808 - 810. A balloon was flown at sea, observed by a contrivance with a moving angle; Carmichael kept the horizontal bar in position, while Dymond followed with the other arm. A working breeze & the rapid horizontal motion of the balloon precluded anything more than interest in the results.”
See Related Documents File. [Jocelyne Dudding 6/3/2008]

Bibliographical Reference: J. M. Wordie; H. Carmichael; E. G. Dymond; T. C. Lethbridge, ‘An Expedition to North West Greenland and the Canadian Arctic in 1937’ in The Geographical Journal, Vol. 92, No. 5. (Nov., 1938), pp. 385-418.
Text on p. 388 includes:
We started “on the Atlantic passage westwards from Cape Wrath till July 1. There had been a period of very unsettled weather in the North Atlantic area, but more was to follow ... We remained in this way till the 11th, when the weather improved and we attempted a more northerly course. Then almost suddenly the sea flattened out, though the wind was still fairly strong, and we knew that we must now be to leeward of the unseen pack-ice and into Davis Strait. The quick change to moderate seas, which may be expected under these conditions, is as welcome and sudden as when a small ship in a gale rounds a breakwater into harbour.
In Davis Strait we had overcast conditions with mist and a gentle head swell during the four days passage to Godhavn. There was a short clearing one evening off Godthaab, enough to show the characteristic mountains, Sadlen and Hjortetakken, known as the Beacons of Godthaab, and by this means we fixed our position, having been without sights for five days. This was only a temporary improvement however and for the most part we were limited to 5 to 10 mile visibility in the passage up the Strait”. [JD 13/2/2007]

P.86084.PAT to P.86583.PAT were found wrapped in the card now numbered C446/1/.

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Grant Program Two. [Jocelyne Dudding 13/2/2007]