Saturday, February 10, 2018

Seal Hunt, Arctic Alaska



It's a bit grizzly, but it's also a great record of a disappearing way of life.  Nice photo, but everyone should take the time to check out Nanook of the North,  a silent documentary directed by Robert Flaherty.

So, back to the postcard, literally, on the back, "ART.2-ARCTIC ALASKA  Eskimo returning from a successful seal hunt on the Polar ice. PHOTO BY WILLIAM W. BACON."  Published by "ALASKA SCENIC POST CARDS J&H SALES, ANCHORAGE, ALASKA."  I couldn't find anything about the publisher, but I was able to dig up a bit of information on the photographer.

William W. Bacon III, donated his photographic archives to the University of Alaska, Anchorage.  The collection covers his complete photographic and film work from 1945-2004.  According to the brief bio on the University's website, he was born in 1926.  Since he was described as both a photographer and a documentary film maker, I also checked on IMDB where he was listed as having been born in 1927.  Neither site listed a date of death, so presumably, he's still alive and kicking.  Well, perhaops not kicking, but at least, in a well deserved retirement.

This card was never used.

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