William Bradford - part 3

William Bradford, a celebrated American painter, was also a traveller and adventurer fascinated with the Arctic landscape. The Arctic Region series of works is the result of seven expeditions to the area undertaken for the purposes of art, the most ambitious of which was made in 1869. This voyage was underwritten by Boston collector and banker LeGrand Lockwood. A sealing ship called the Panther was commissioned for the trip; the vessel covered 5,000 nautical miles but was forced to turn back after being trapped for two days in pack ice. A source of great interest throughout the nineteenth century, the Arctic captured the public imagination, manifesting itself through a widespread desire for images, stories, and interpretations of this remote and desolate landscape.

For a more in-depth biography of Bradford see part 1, and for earlier work see parts 1 & 2 also. This is part 3 of a 4-part series on the works of William Bradford:

Photography 1869 (captions as given by Bradford) All albumen silver prints:

Arctic Regions
front cover

An Esquimaux getting ready for a seal hunt, his Toupek, or skin tent on the right

An extended view of a section of the front of the glacier

Arched iceberg in Melville Bay

Beset on all sides, the "Panther" remained in this situation for three days

Between the iceberg and field-ice

Cape Desolation

Castle Berg in Melville Bay, over 200 feet high

Cliffs seen on the south side of Arsut Fiord, 3,000 feet high

Concordia 

Esquimaux in his kayak or skin boat

Esquimaux in his kayak ready for seal-hunting

Esquimaux man and girls

Esquimaux Toupek or skin tent

Esquimaux Toupek, with dog and puppies

Esquimaux wide awake 

1869 Esquimaux women

Front view of the glacier

Godhaven in the Islands of Disco

Group of Esquimaux women and children

Hans, who was with Dr. Kane as hunter and interpreter

Hans, his wife, and children 

Hard at work under a full head of steam, trying to escape being nipped

Hunting by steam in Melville Bay

Iceberg drifting with the current about two miles the hour, and was 200 feet above the water 

Iceberg grounded near the land

Iceberg passed near the Newfoundland

Iceberg seen near the coast

Iceberg which we named the "Glory of Baffin's Bay"

Iceberg which we named the "Glory of Baffin's Bay"

Iceberg which, from its peculiar shape, would be selected to make fast to

 Iceberg with  an arch in it

Iceberg, showing the action of the water, washing and wearing it into its present shape

Icebergs

Instantaneous view of icebergs

Jansen and his family

Kunak Mountain with the commencement of a fog bank

Looking down Karsut Fiord

Instantaneous view of polar bears