IDNO

P.86210.PAT

Description

Detail of a Greenland Inuit woman stitching decorative needlework on piece of de-haired seal? skin. The woman (whose head and feet have been cropped by frame) wears a cloth parka, sealskin trousers with decorative panels, and de-haired skin stockings with pale leather bands at the top of the legs. The panel that is worked upon appears to be held taut across the legs by pins into the sides of the boots. The pattern is a geometric design of pale thread against darker skin, with two narrow pale leather bands at the top. The woman wears a metal thimble on the index finger of the right hand.

Place

N America; Arctic; Greenland; Nugssuak Peninsula

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

Photographer

None

Collector / Expedition

Paterson, Thomas Thompson

Date

24 - 30 July 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:
“July 24 - 30.”
“Nugssuaq Greenlanders.”
“263. People and houses.”
“264 - 267. Types of Greenlanders, 266 the Katekit.”
See Related Documents File. [Jocelyne Dudding 9/3/2008]

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 left early on July 24 and during a day of mist and fog passed up the Vaigat, aiming to anchor at the western end of Nugssuak Peninsula. By now we knew that there was practically no pack-ice in Davis Strait, and had therefore given up the idea of launching the balloons out at sea. The Nugssuak Peninsula juts prominently westwards, and appeared to have much the same strategic advantages as Godhavn, there being a small fairly sheltered harbour, near the extreme west point. The approaches are narrow, and it was only with the help of local Greenlanders that we were able to feel our way in and secure the ship by a combination of anchoring and tying up to ring bolts. The harbour lay lengthwise between dipping ledges, and is not much more than a boat harbour, and ours was probably the limit of size of ship which can be accommodated”.
[JD 12/2/2007]

Place: In the BFI’s synopses of Wordie’s 1937 film of Greenland, mention is made of footage of “Nugssnag [sic] settlement, eskimoes, a kayak maker, and girls showing off their best boots”. [Reel 2, 96 foot] [Source:
BFI, http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/14564?view=synopsis] [JD 13/2/2007]

P.86589.PAT to P.86600.PAT were found in the film wallet now numbered C446/3/.

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Grant Program Two. [Jocelyne Dudding 7/2/2007]