IDNO

P.86218.PAT

Description

Thomas Paterson with the kayak that he has bought in a row boat with three Inuit men, one of whom is rowing. The kayak has been placed horizontally across the rowboat for transporting.

Place

N America; Arctic; Greenland; Nugssuak Peninsula

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

Thomas Paterson

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

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

Related Image: Similar image mounted in James Wordie’s 1937 album with the number and caption:
“July 24 - 30”
“Nugssuaq Greenlanders.”
“260. Paterson buys a kayak.”
See Related Documents File. [Jocelyne Dudding 7/3/2008]

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]

MAA Exhibition: This photograph was included in the text panel for the Arctic kayak, 1946.482, in Maudslay Gallery, during its re-display, May 2012, with the caption:
"Paterson buys a kayak’.
Nugssuak Peninsula, Greenland, 24-30 July 1937. P. 86218.PAT." [JD 9/21/2013]

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