Guide to the Michael Philip papers
1932-1933
Michael Philip
Collection number: HMC-0430.
Creator: Philip, Michael.
Title: Michael Philip papers.
Dates: 1932-1933.
Volume of collection: 0.7 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Materials in this collection are in English.
Collection summary: Papers and photographs relating to the production of the movie Eskimo.
Biographical note:
Michael Philip was from Coos Bay, Oregon. From 1932-1933 he was a crewmember for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios during the production of the film, Eskimo. Philip sailed up the Inside Passage to Alaska, was involved in walrus, polar bear, and whale hunts off the coast of Siberia and Point Hope and constructed sets for the film in the Teller and Cape Lisburne areas.
Collection description:
The collection consists of newspaper clippings and photographs concerning the production of the film, Eskimo, directed by W.S. Van Dyke. The newspaper clippings include published letters Philip sent to his family during the production of the film; the M-G-M Eskimo News, published by the film crew of Eskimo while in Teller; and other articles concerning the film’s production. The photographs consist of images taken on location during the production of the film. Alaska locations include Nome, Teller, Point Hope, Cape Lisburne, Kivalina, King Island, Prince William Sound, and the Inside Passage. The photographs depict the film crew, cast, housing, and sets; the hunting of walruses, polar bears, and whales; coastal glaciers in Alaska; and the ship, Nanuk, which was used in the film.
Arrangement: The collection is arranged in the following series:
Series 1: Newspaper clippings; 1932-1933
Series 2: Photographs; 1932-1933
Alternative formats: The collection contains copy negatives of select photographs as well as copies of the original newspapers.
Digitized copies: Selected images have been digitized and can be found on Alaska’s Digital Archives. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact Archives and Special Collections.
Access restrictions: Researcher access is limited to the newspaper copies as to preserve the originals.
Rights note: Archives holds copyright to materials created by Michael Philip. The collection contains material not created by Philip which may be subject to copyright restrictions.
Preferred citation: Michael Philip papers, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.
Acquisition note: The collection was donated to the Archives by Malcolm Montague in 1995. A deed of gift was signed by Montague at that time.
Processing information: This collection was arranged and described by Jeffrey Sinnott in 1996. The guide to the collection was converted to current standard by Veronica Denison in 2017.
Container list:
Series 1: Newspaper clippings; 1932-1933. 0.5 cubic feet.
This series contains published letters from Coos Bay Harbor (a newspaper from North Bend, Oregon) which Michael Philip wrote and sent to his family during the filming of Eskimo. The series also includes M-G-M Eskimo News, which was published by the cast and crew of Eskimo during filming in Teller, Alaska, as well as other articles regarding the film.
| Box | Description | Dates |
| 1 | Letter home, sent from Arctic Ocean | 1932 July 4-5 |
| 1 | Letter home, sent from Teller, Alaska | 1932 July 19-23 |
| 1 | Letters home, sent from about five miles from Herald Island (west of Wrangel Island), Cape Lisburne, and Teller | 1932 August |
| 1 | Letter home, sent from Teller | 1932 August |
| 1 | Letter home, sent from Teller | 1932 November 2 |
| 1 | Letters home, sent from Cape Lisburne | 1933 February-March |
| 1 | Letters home, sent from Point Hope | 1933 April-May |
| 1 | Letter home, sent from near Cape Serdsti, Siberia | 1933 July |
| 1 | Letter home, sent from Icy Bay, Alaska | 1933 August |
| 1 | M-G-M Eskimo News: A Paper for of and by a Movie Crowd Gone Native, M-G-M Camp, Teller Alaska | 1932 December |
| 1 | “Col. W.S. Van Dyke’s Arctic Adventures!: Director of ‘Eskimo’ Writes of Horrors in Great, Icy Wasteland”; by Co. W.S. Van Dyke | circa 1933 |
| 1 | “Yes, There Are Eskimos in Hollywood” (photo of W.S. Van Dyke and Alaska Native actors), The Oregon Daily Journal | 1933 |
| 1 | “Mike Philip Here After Two Years in Alaska” (newspaper article fragment) | circa 1933 |
Series 2: Photographs; 1932-1933. 0.2 cubic feet.
This series contains photographs taken by Michael Philip and others during the filming of Eskimo.
| Box/ Folder |
Item | Description | Dates |
| 2/1 | 1 | “The bungalow in the making” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 2 | “Our bungalow at Cape Lisburne out in the ice about five miles from shore. Is this a sweet place to live or not?” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 3 | “The Lisburne Bungalow again with the start of an annex and a wall started for another one out of ice blocks” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 4 | “Our wireless operator, Orland Rees, at Cape Lisburne” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 5 | “Rees and a few dogs at Lisburne, an Eskimo and our home sweet home up there” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 6 | Cape Lisburne: “Some native huts I took here, but they don’t show up very well. Our house in background” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 7 | “This is the whale village at Cape Lisburne except our igloo that I couldn’t get in the picture” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 8 | “Our meal cache at Cape Lisburne. Pretty good ice box huh?” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 9 | Cape Lisburne sets: “Part of the inside of the tunnel at the bear set at Lisburne. The boards and cross pieces are the ceiling of it.” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 10 | Cape Lisburne sets: “Three of the camera houses at the bear set at Lisburne. Taken from in front of the main house, that caved in when the ice broke up.” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 11 | Cape Lisburne sets: “Part of the bear set at Lisburne. Arrow #1 is a camera house in the tunnel and #2 is part of the tunnel we built to go through to all the cameras” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 12 | Cape Lisburne sets: “Another one of the camera house after the crack up-March-9-1933.” | 1933 March 9 |
| 2/1 | 13 | Cape Lisburne sets: “Where the ice parted under our main camera house at the bear set. Some of the rafters that fell down and the black spot in center is part of tunnel.” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 14 | “Looking towards the set at Lisburne after the ice broke up that time and wrecked the whole works for us. The smooth ice in foreground was open water when it broke up” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 15 | “Part of the herd of reindeer that they drove up to Lisburne for us. Cape Lisburne in the background” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 16 | “Reindeer at Cape Lisburne, 2/33.” | 1933 February |
| 2/1 | 17 | Distant view of reindeer herd. | 1933 February |
| 2/1 | 18 | “Our house on shore at Lisburne and a first class view of the Arctic Ocean in February.” | 1933 February |
| 2/1 | 19 | “Landed at Lisburne” (airplane) | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 20 | “Hegness heading for our new home at Lisburne, on shore–1/26/33” | 1933 January 26 |
| 2/1 | 21 | “Some Eskimos cutting dog trail at Lisburne” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 22 | “Our fresh water spring at Lisburne” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 23 | “Those bleak old rock crags on Cape Lisburne about 1500 feet up from sea level” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 24 | “Cape Lisburne, Jan. 26, 1933” | 1933 January 26 |
| 2/1 | 25 | “Some crags on Cape Lisburne” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 26 | “The day we landed at Lisburne and a dog team coming out to get us. 1/26/33” | 1933 January 26 |
| 2/1 | 27 | “Lunchtime on the trail, at Lisburne” (men, dog team, and sled) | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 28 | “Stopping for lunch against the cape when we were cutting a trail to the fresh water spring. And plenty cold” (Cape Lisburne) | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 29 | “Just a few dogs going to the set at Cape Lisburne” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 30 | “Took this one sitting on a sled meeting another team”(Cape Lisburne) | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 31 | “Just a dog team taking a rest” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 32 | “Just a couple of dog teams at Cape Lisburne” (distant view) | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 33 | Another view of two dog teams and sleds, Cape Lisburne | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 34-35 | Two views of dog team from sled, Cape Lisburne | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 36 | View of dog team and driver from front, Cape Lisburne | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 37 | “Part of our house here at Pt. Hope, a few ice cicles, Geo. Nogle in the window, Eddie Cornwall on the ground” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 38 | “A few of the ice cicles on our house here in the middle of April.” Point Hope | 1933 April |
| 2/1 | 39 | “Ready to start for the lead with the wooden whale boat. 4/24/33” Dog teams pulling whaling boat, Point Hope | 1933 April 24 |
| 2/1 | 40 | “Waiting to go some place, by our house here in Pt. Hope” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 41 | “Just starting for the lead with the whale boat 4/24/33” Point Hope and vicinity | 1933 April 24 |
| 2/1 | 42 | “Taking our wooden whale boat out to the lead and the string of dogs we had to pull it” Point Hope and vicinity | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 43 | “On the way with the whale boat.” Point Hope and vicinity | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 44-45 | Two views of dog team from sled, Point Hope and vicinity | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 46 | “Roberts at the camera and the crew that I’m with. Our sleeping tent and the natives’ cook tent in the background” Waiting for the whales on the lead off Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 47 | “Our whaling crew and Deverman asleep under a parka and on top of the snow in the foreground” Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 48 | “Roberts and Deverman and the whaling crew’s wind break.” Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 49 | “A skin boat, a camera and a lead. Waiting for a whale.” Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 50 | “They Akley camera. Roberts, and the lead.” Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 51 | “Here is the way the natives do all their sleeping while the whaling season is on. Roberts taking a nap under the camera too” Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 52 | “Frank Messenger our boss asleep on the job and I took this to prove it to him.” Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 53 | “Bob Roberts, 1st cameraman, and I behind the wind break waiting for whale at the lead. I’m going to give up this business and be a detective when I grow up, snow glasses too” Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 54 | Roberts and Philip resting under windbreak, Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 55 | “Our tent on the right and a native’s on the left. Out at the lead, the native’s is just a cook house for his whaling crew.” Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 56 | View of the interior of Philip’s tent at the lead, Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 57 | “The inside of our sleeping tent at the lead. My bed is first to the right in case you are inquisitious” Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 58 | “The tent is the cook tent and the skin boat on edge with the wind break in front was our home for a few days and nights.” Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 59 | “Starting for shore at Pt. Hope with our whale boat and 42 dogs pulling it” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 60 | “Blackman, some natives and a skin boat.” Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 61 | “The front of a skin boat without the walrus skin on it” Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 62 | View of the wooden whaleboat on the ice, the dog team pulling it, and the movie crew, Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 63 | Whaling implements: sealskin floats, rifle, paddle, etc., Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 64 | Whaling implements, Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 65 | A sack of supplies on the ice, with a sealskin in the foreground, Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 66-67 | Distant views from the ice of the whaling and movie crews on the lead | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 68 | “A lead just starting to open up, and just in back of our tent too. One of the reasons why someone is always on watch and we sleep with our clothes on.” Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 69 | “Our whaling crew in the loose ice as the lead was opening up again, and a mountain of ice in back of them.” Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 70 | Whaling crew in skin boat from wooden boat with film crew, Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 71 | Whaling crew in skin boat from wooden boat with film crew (blurred), Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 72 | Man paddling kayak near the ice. Whaling crew in action, Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 73 | “Getting the whale ready to start pulling him up and start cutting him up” Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 74 | “Starting to pull up the first whale killed and the only one so far this year. 5/18/33” Point Hope | 1933 May 18 |
| 2/1 | 75 | Natives surrounding whale being pulled onto the ice by the tail with ropes, Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 76 | “The whale’s tail pulled up on the ice” Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 77 | Natives surrounding whale as it is being pulled onto the ice (side view), Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 78 | “Part of the whale’s tail and carcass with the blubber and meat cut off. The tail part that isn’t cut is supposed to be the choice part and goes to the boss of the crew.” Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 79 | View of the whale carcass in the water with seal float in the background, Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 80 | “The upper half of the whale’s head on the ice at Point Hope.” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 81 | “The upper part of the whale’s head laying on its side and one of the natives sitting in it.” Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 82 | “Al Blackman and I” Standing next to the whale carcass on its side, Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 83 | “Part of the gill bone [baleen] in the last whale they got at Pt. Hope. Blackman and Knott in foreground” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 84 | “All that is left of a whale when they get one here. Paul Green on left and the native that killed it, Peter Koonuk-Naruk.” Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 85 | “Some of the meat and blubber ready to be hauled to shore” Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 86 | More distant view of the meat and blubber to be hauled to shore, Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 87 | Natives dragging meat toward shore, Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 88 | Distant view from ice of whale carcass, Natives, and film crew with large slabs of meat and blubber in foreground, Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 89 | Whale carcass as it is being hauled onto the ice with ropes and two sealskin floats, Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 90 | “The camera crew at Point Hope in the ice. Pt. Hope way in the background on the left side” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 91 | “The camera crew over at a set up in some high ice here at Point Hope” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 92 | “Just some rough ice here at Pt. Hope. 5/33” Camera crew in the ice near Point Hope | 1933 May |
| 2/1 | 93 | “Some rough ice here at Pt. Hope” Camera crew in the ice near Point Hope | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 94 | “A couple of native bungalows at Pt. Hope” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 95 | “A natives store room here” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 96 | “Part of the old ruins of an Eskimo village here but you can’t see it very plain in this one.” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 97 | “An Eskimo bungalow in the winter time. The square hole is his door way, then a tunnel for his dogs in bad weather, then the stove pipe is his part of the house” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 98 | “Entrance to a native’s house in the winter” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 99 | “An Eskimo house and some young natives by the only door in the house” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 100 | “A native’s home sweet home” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 101 | “An igloo we built at Point Hope of snow blocks, for a set.” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 102 | View of cache with sled in front | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 103 | “Some of the native palaces [sod houses] at Pt. Hope when the snow started thawing this spring” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 104 | “Another native hut [sod house] here at Pt. Hope” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 105 | Sod house with whale bones in front | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 106 | Rear of sod house | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 107 | “The midnight sun at Point Hope, June 4th 1933” | 1933 June 4 |
| 2/1 | 108 | “Another midnight sun at Pt. Hope, 6/4/33” | 1933 June 4 |
| 2/1 | 109 | “Sent copies of all these to Grace, 4/24/33” View of the ice | 1933 April 24 |
| 2/1 | 110 | A duck | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 111 | “The drake King eider duck” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 112 | “A drake Spectical eider duck” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 113 | “Part of Kivalina from the plane on our way to Nome” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 114-117 | Four other views from the plane on way to Nome | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 118 | “A native tossed up from a walrus skin, like they do with a blanket out there. The feast after the whaling was over at Pt. Hope this spring.” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 119 | Another view of the blanket toss | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 120 | “An old 13 star flag that one of the natives at Pt. Hope still has.” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 121 | “Just a few ice cicles on an ice cake” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 122 | “Just the head of a walrus, the natives killed at Pt. Hope” Head resting on top of can | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 123 | Native in rain parka posed with rifle next to walrus head on can | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 124 | Midnight sun on the ice | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 125-127 | Three views of a Native next to a lead in the ice | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 128 | Distant view of the fence of whale bones at the Point Hope cemetery | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 129 | “Believe it or not, this is me.” Michael Philip leaning on whale bone, Point Hope cemetery | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 130 | “Al Blackman at the gate into the cemetery” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 131 | “Me with Blackman’s parka and hat on by the cemetery fence” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 132 | “Old ‘Happy’ Blackman” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 133 | “Blackman and a piece of gill bone [baleen]” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 134 | Man in fur parka with whale bone fence in background (blurred) | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 135 | “A few eider ducks” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 136 | Dressed snowman with tools | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 137 | “This pile of ice was about 30 ft. high and 150 ft. wide at the bottom but cracked open just the same” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 138-144 | Seven different views of ice | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 145 | Man and dog on sled with winter camp at Teller in the background | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 146 | “Ingalf Olsen, Geo. Taggert, and myself when we had to cut ice to swing the Nanuk around” Teller harbor | circa 1932 November |
| 2/1 | 147 | “‘Blupett’ one of the dogs in the team we use in the picture.” | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 148 | Three members of the film crew in front of the Hotel Alaska in Nome. Cameraman Leonard Smith on the right | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 149 | Six members of the film crew in front of the Pioneer Igloo Hotel in Nome. Cameraman Leonard Smith and director Richard Rasson in center | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 150-172 | Original duplicates of select images | circa 1933 |
| 2/1 | 173-224 | Copy negatives of select images | undated |
| 2/2 | 1-9 | King Island and kayakers hauling and unloading cargo onto ship | circa 1933 July |
| 2/2 | 10-19 | Whale hunting off Siberian coast: Whaling boats with sails | circa 1933 July |
| 2/2 | 20-27 | Whale hunting off Siberian coast: Views of whaling from the ship | circa 1933 July |
| 2/2 | 28 | Whale hunting off Siberian coast: Whale carcass near the ice | circa 1933 July |
| 2/2 | 29 | Whale hunting off Siberian coast: Whale being hauled onto the ice next to the Nanuk | circa 1933 July |
| 2/2 | 30-32 | Whale hunting off Siberian coast: Siberian Natives beginning to butcher whale | circa 1933 July |
| 2/2 | 33 | Whale hunting off Siberian coast: Siberian Native on board the Nanuk | circa 1933 July |
| 2/2 | 34 | Whale hunting off Siberian coast: The Nanuk near the ice | circa 1933 July |
| 2/2 | 35 | Whale hunting off Siberian coast: Film crew with three cameras on the ice | circa 1933 July |
| 2/2 | 36 | Whale hunting off Siberian coast: Cameraman Leonard Smith on board the Nanuk | circa 1933 July |
| 2/2 | 37 | Whale hunting off Siberian coast: Mushroom ice formation | circa 1933 July |
| 2/2 | 38 | Whale hunting off Siberian coast: King Island from aboard the Nanuk | circa 1933 July |
| 2/2 | 39 | Whale hunting off Siberian coast: Natives in whale boat in King Island harbor | circa 1933 July |
| 2/2 | 40 | Whale hunting off Siberian coast: Two whale boats off the Nanuk with the sun low in the sky | circa 1933 July |
| 2/2 | 41 | Whale hunting off Siberian coast: Whale boat with sail marked with an ‘O’ | circa 1933 July |
| 2/2 | 42 | Whale hunting off Siberian coast: Michael Philip on the deck of the Nanuk | circa 1933 July |
| 2/2 | 43 | Whale hunting off Siberian coast: Birdseye view of a mast on the Nanuk | circa 1933 July |
| 2/2 | 44-66 | Copy negatives of select images | 1933 |
| 2/3 | 1 | Two Natives in kayaks next to whale carcass, off Siberian coast | 1933 July-August |
| 2/3 | 2-3 | Film crew in boat, off Siberian coast | 1933 July-August |
| 2/3 | 4-6 | Men lifting something onto the ship with a boom, off Siberian coast | 1933 July-August |
| 2/3 | 7 | Crow’s nest view of the stern of the ship and lifeboats from the rear mast, off Siberian coast | 1933 July-August |
| 2/3 | 8 | Two whaling boats with sails marked ‘O’ and ‘X,’ off Siberian coast | 1933 July-August |
| 2/3 | 9-10 | Man with harpoon off stem of ship, off Siberian coast | 1933 July-August |
| 2/3 | 11 | Three fishing boats off coastline of Siberian coast | 1933 July-August |
| 2/3 | 12 | Fishing boat off ship, off Siberian coast | 1933 July-August |
| 2/3 | 13 | Fishing boat with sail off ship (three men in foreground), off Siberian coast | 1933 July-August |
| 2/3 | 14 | Watching whale spout from ship, off Siberian coast | 1933 July-August |
| 2/3 | 15 | Steamship against shoreline, either off Siberian coast or in Prince William Sound | 1933 July-August |
| 2/3 | 16 | Three-masted ship among the ice as seen from above on shore, Prince William Sound | 1933 July-August |
| 2/3 | 17 | Crest of whale as seen from ship, either off Siberian coast or in Prince William Sound | 1933 July-August |
| 2/3 | 18-24 | Views of sea and coastline, probably in Prince William Sound | 1933 July-August |
| 2/3 | 25-42 | Views of coastal glaciers from ship and shore, probably in Prince William Sound | 1933 July-August |
| 2/3 | 43-57 | Copy negatives of select images | undated |
| 2/4 | 1-2 | Michael Philip with camera perched next to stem of ship, either in Prince William Sound or Inside Passage | circa 1933 August |
| 2/4 | 3-4 | Views from on board ship and glaciers, either in Prince William Sound or Inside Passage | circa 1933 August |
| 2/4 | 5-23 | Unidentified views of coastal glaciers, the Inside Passage, and a dolphin. Probably taken in Prince William Sound and Inside Passage | circa 1933 August |
| 2/5 | 1 | Men in fur costumes, filming in Los Angeles | circa 1933 |
| 2/5 | 2-4 | Movie set, filming in Los Angeles | circa 1933 |
| 2/5 | 5-7 | Camera crew shooting scene at the rail of the ship Moonflower, filming in Los Angeles | circa 1933 |
| 2/5 | 8-14 | Copy negatives of select images | undated |
| 2/6 | 1 | Directors, camera operators, and assistants wearing suits on ship deck. Director W.S. Van Dyke and Assistant Director Frank Messenger in center | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/6 | 2 | Directors, camera operators, and assistants wearing jackets in front of ship mast. Frank Messenger and W.S. Van Dyke standing at far left | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/6 | 3 | Directors, camera operators, and assistants in front of fog horns on ship deck | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/6 | 4 | Three crewmen of the Nanuk hauling a walrus onto the ice | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/6 | 5 | “Frank Messenger and Capt. Hansen and big old bulls [walrus]” | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/6 | 6 | “Messenger and the Skipper again and me in back with the skin boat.” | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/6 | 7 | “The Mate and Geo. Nogle” | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/6 | 8-9 | Man giving another man a haircut | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/6 | 10 | “The C.S. Holmes leaving Kotzebue Sound just as we were leaving the last time out.” | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/6 | 11-18 | Copy negatives of select images | undated |
| 2/7 | 1 | “Our Mess boy Carl Walberg killing time at Unalaska and Dutch Harbor” (carrying rifle) | 1932 June |
| 2/7 | 2 | “Patches of snow at Unalaska last June” | 1932 June |
| 2/7 | 3 | “Kivalina, a native village where we got through the ice to shore the 5th of July” | 1932 July 5 |
| 2/7 | 4 | “Beluga (white whale) at Kotzebue Alaska 7/7/32. The native catch these for food up here. They cut them up and eat it raw or cooked. Muktuk they call it” | 1932 July 7 |
| 2/7 | 5 | “The C.S. Holmes an old sailing schooner that makes one trip a year to Pt. Barrow. Just getting under way leaving Kotzebue Sound here” | 1932 June-July |
| 2/7 | 6 | “The Nanuk tied up to an ice cake with a pool of fresh water in it. We pumped our tanks full of this one” | 1932 June-July |
| 2/7 | 7 | “A long shot of a bunch after walrus in the edge of ice on the Siberian coast” Walrus hunt, Herald Island | 1932 July-August |
| 2/7 | 8 | “A few Eskimos, a few guts and, a walrus being pulled aboard the ship” Walrus hunt, Herald Island | 1932 July-August |
| 2/7 | 9 | “A walrus on an ice cake” Walrus hunt, Herald Island | 1932 July-August |
| 2/7 | 10 | “One of the ice cakes we shot some stuff on. Cameraman Geo. Nogle by the camera, Jimmy Knott his assistant bending over, me starting towards the ship.” Walrus hunt, Herald Island | 1932 July-August |
| 2/7 | 11 | “The mess boy and some Eskimos on one of the ice cakes we worked on near Herald Island” | 1932 July-August |
| 2/7 | 12 | “A bunch of us in a skin boat going out to kill some walrus, me in the stern. We killed seven of them this evening, when this was taken” Walrus hunt, Herald Island | 1932 July-August |
| 2/7 | 13 | “A bunch of walrus on the deck of the Nanuk, Aug 1932” Walrus hunt, Herald Island | 1932 August |
| 2/7 | 14 | “The first bear we got, swinging onto the deck, and the skipper and Messenger standing on the hatch.” Polar bear hunt, Herald and Diomede Islands | 1932 August |
| 2/7 | 15 | “Another double exposure. I marked around the bear’s head and shoulders on an ice cake next to the ship. Lay the bear hanging, on his back and you can see the one I marked” Polar bear hunt, Herald and Diomede Islands | 1932 August |
| 2/7 | 16 | “Some of the boys cleaning walrus tusks on deck while we were on the ice” Polar bear hunt, Herald and Diomede Islands | 1932 August |
| 2/7 | 17 | “Taken from the jib of the Nanuk. Camera set up waiting for polar bear, the mate, Messenger, on the flying bridge and the Skipper just going onto it. All looking for another bear” Polar bear hunt, Herald and Diomede Islands | 1932 August |
| 2/7 | 18 | “One of the polar bear we got up near Herald Island” Polar bear hunt, Herald and Diomede Islands | 1932 August |
| 2/7 | 19 | “Another bear swimming ahead of the ship” Polar bear hunt, Herald and Diomede Islands | 1932 August |
| 2/7 | 20 | “A bear going places, but he ended up on the deck too” Polar bear hunt, Herald and Diomede Islands | 1932 August |
| 2/7 | 21 | “You can barely see Herald Island on the horizon, no one thought to take a picture of it till it was too late. It’s about 30 miles north of Latitude 71 and a long ways from home, Aug. 2, 1932” Polar bear hunt, Herald Island | 1932 August 2 |
| 2/7 | 22 | “Another one taken of Herald Island but not much happened” Polar bear hunt, Herald Island | 1932 August |
| 2/7 | 23 | “You can barely see Herald Island on the Horizon” Polar bear hunt, Herald Island | 1932 August |
| 2/7 | 24 | “A bunch of Eskimos in an Oomiak, skin boat made of walrus skins, at Diomede Island” Polar bear hunt, Diomede Island | 1932 August |
| 2/7 | 25 | “Part of Little Diomede Island taken about midnight in Aug. 1932” Polar bear hunt, Diomede Island | 1932 August |
| 2/7 | 26 | “Capt. Hansen on the flying bridge, weaving through the ice” On board the Nanuk | circa 1933 |
| 2/7 | 27 | “The mate taking a rest on the jib.” | circa 1933 |
| 2/7 | 28 | “The mate, our shore cook, and a couple of Eskimo women up at Point Hope” On board the Nanuk | circa 1933 |
| 2/7 | 29 | “A big sheet of ice that caught on the bow when we were unloading here at Teller the first time in here , and me standing by the boxes” On board the Nanuk | circa 1933 |
| 2/7 | 30 | “Cape Prince of Wales north of here.” On board the Nanuk | circa 1933 |
| 2/7 | 31 | “Just a bunch of ice we were going through one day” On board the Nanuk | circa 1933 |
| 2/7 | 32 | “More icebergs” On board the Nanuk | circa 1933 |
| 2/7 | 33 | Sunset from the ship. On board the Nanuk | circa 1933 |
| 2/7 | 34 | Sea birds. On board the Nanuk | circa 1933 |
| 2/7 | 35-37 | Glaciers and sea ice from the ship. On board the Nanuk | circa 1933 |
| 2/7 | 38 | “Pop Arnold, Harry Albiez and I, building igloos” Near Teller | circa 1933 |
| 2/7 | 39 | “H.M. (Smitty) Smith and his harem” Near Teller | circa 1933 |
| 2/7 | 40 | “The front of part of our winter camp and where I’m sitting writing these, and I can just fall over backwards and be in bed, and down stairs we eat pretty soon now.”Near Teller | circa 1933 |
| 2/7 | 41 | “Smitty, the Englishman.” Near Teller | circa 1933 |
| 2/7 | 42 | “Making some running shots in Salt Lake supposed to be spearing reindeer. Frank Messenger looking around.” Near Teller | circa 1933 |
| 2/7 | 43 | “The native skin village, a set we built up the river near our summer camp” Near Teller | circa 1933 |
| 2/7 | 44 | Member of film crew and a Native woman at doorway of building in the winter camp, near Teller | circa 1933 |
| 2/7 | 45 | “Metta Muller, our bed maker” Near Teller | circa 1933 |
| 2/7 | 46 | “The back view of the skin village up near the summer camp” Near Teller | circa 1933 |
| 2/7 | 47 | “Rear view of part of our winter camp here before winter came” Near Teller | circa 1933 |
| 2/7 | 48 | “A reindeer coral at our winter camp here.” Near Teller | circa 1933 |
| 2/7 | 49 | “Part of our summer camp” Near Teller | circa 1933 |
| 2/7 | 50 | “A couple of deserted sod houses on the same point our summer camp was on up at Salt Lake [Imuruk Basin]” Near Teller | circa 1933 |
| 2/7 | 51 | “The deserted village set in back of camp here.” Near Teller | circa 1933 |
| 2/7 | 52 | “Cutting ice blocks to make igloos for a set near the ship” Near Teller | circa 1933 |
| 2/7 | 53 | “Another set in back of our winter camp here supposed to be a deserted village” Near Teller | circa 1933 |
| 2/7 | 54 | “Just a few of the reindeer from one of the camera blinds, when they chased them down into the lake.” Winter and summer camps, Teller | circa 1933 |
| 2/7 | 55 | “The Nanuk frozen in for the winter” Near Teller | circa 1933 |
| 2/7 | 56 | “Water falls on the inside passage” Inside Passage | 1932 |
| 2/7 | 57 | “Some water falls on the inside passage.” Inside Passage | 1932 |
| 2/7 | 58 | “A little village we passed on the inside passage–Bella-Bella [British Columbia]” Inside Passage | 1932 |
| 2/7 | 59 | “Coming up the inside passage.” Inside Passage | 1932 |
| 2/7 | 60 | “This was a double exposure of Mt. Pavlof, a volcano we passed on the inside passage. You can barely see the smoke from it, from the peak blowing to the left. Inside Passage | 1932 |
| 2/7 | 61 | “Another shot of Mt. Pavlof but not so hot, you can’t see the smoke from it, in the picture, it was so foggy that morning” Inside Passage | 1932 |
| 2/7 | 62 | “Mike Philip” in hat and sunglasses. | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/7 | 63 | “Jerry Jones [pilot] coming in on skis” | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/7 | 64 | Man on porch loaded down with game birds | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/7 | 65 | Unidentified town or village | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/7 | 66 | Man in old steam locomotive | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/7 | 67 | Man on porch with waterfall in the background | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/7 | 68-75 | Original duplicates of select images | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/7 | 76-101 | Copy negatives of select images | undated |
| 2/8 | 1 | “Frank Messenger and Geo. Nogle and the Eskimos skinning walrus” | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 2 | “Geo. Nogle, cameraman, myself, and Sig Jensen, and the natives skinning some of the walrus” | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 3 | “The mate and the skipper and some big bull walrus” | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 4 | “Geo. Nogle and his assistant Jimmy Knott by camera. John Hegness by short tripod, natives with walrus harpoon, up near Herald Island.” | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 5 | “Tied up to another iceberg” | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 6 | “Nanuk tied up to an ice berg” | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 7 | “One of the places we were shooting on an ice cake off the Siberian Coast, and one of the native open boats made of walrus skins. Oomiaks they call them.” | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 8 | “Capt. Hansen looking things over.” | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 9 | “A nice shot of the Nanuk nosed in to an iceberg” | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 10 | “The skipper on the flying bridge running through loose ice hollering port a little and starboard a little bit and steady.” | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 11 | “Chief Engineer Geo. Hunter, Capt. Hansen and Bosun Sig Jensen and the natives we had from Little Diomede Island on one of the icebergs we tied up to the last trip out of here.” | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 12 | “1st Mate on the Nanuk, Einor Prestrud.” | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 13 | “This is the first one [polar bear] we saw and the one that Messenger lassoed. He certainly was churning up the water in this one. You can see the line we had on his foot from the deck.” | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 14 | “This one came up from a long dive under water” | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 15 | Polar bear in the water | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 16 | “Our first polar bear coming on deck” | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 17 | Polar bear swimming in the water | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 18 | “A little rough water crossing the Gulf of Alaska” | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 19 | “The jib boom gets a bath.” | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 20 | “Still a little choppy” | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 21 | “Too rough to stand still long enough to snap a picture. Looking forward when she dove into a big one.” | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 22 | “Part of our deck load and Ingolf Olsen going below” | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 23 | Two men on the deck of the Nanuk (blurred) | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 24 | “Just touring around among the ice cakes.” | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 25 | “[Left to right] John Karkarak, Ted?, myself, Eddie?, Pop Arnold, Frank?, Harry Albiez, Peter Freuchen behind, Orville Muller, Geo. Taggart, 2nd Engineer getting ice blocks to build igloos, see the ice frost in their whiskers” | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 26 | “Peter Freuchen who wrote ‘Eskimo,’ Pop Arnold on the ends, me in the middle, and Harry Albiez in the doorway of the igloo, Nov. 1932” | 1932 November |
| 2/8 | 27 | “Myself, Peter Freuchen, Harry and Pop. Peter and Pop both have beards and look at the ice in them from breathing, and see the special made mukluk on Peter’s peg leg.” | 1932 November |
| 2/8 | 28 | “Harry and Pop Arnold by one of our igloos” | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 29 | “Harry starting the foundation of an ice bungalow.” | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 30 | Pop Arnold sitting on ice block (head cut off) | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 31 | “John Hegness and some natives” | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 32 | “Coming up the inside passage” | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 33 | “Some falls on the inside passage” | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 34 | Slightly different view of falls on the inside passage | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 35-39 | Original duplicates of select images | 1932 |
| 2/8 | 40-57 | Copy negatives of select images | undated |
| 2/9 | 1 | Eskimo cast and crew photo Christmas card. Writing on the back of the card reads: “Teller, Alaska, Dec. 1, 1932. Dear Grace, Perc, & Jane: The guy on his knees in the middle with the white snow shirt on isn’t me, or Christ, but the old boy that wrote this story, and I’m standing on the left hand end, looks like a dress up party at the sand hills don’t it, pretty cold now and these clothes don’t feel bad. 18 below today, 22 yesterday, blowing like hell tonight, but everyone still happy & going strong. How about a feed of ducks or clams? Love & Merry Xmas to you all and the gang, Mike.” Photograph dated 1932 November, letter on back dated 1932 December 1 | 1932 November-December |
| 2/9 | 2 | Eskimo cast and crew photo Christmas card. Writing on the back of the card reads: “Teller, Alaska, Dec. 1, 1932. Dear Mother & All: This is a helluva looking Xmas card but its all we’ve got up here so here she comes. Even we that know eachother so well are wondering who is who, must have been a bum negative or something, anyho its the gang of us up here on the ice by the Nanuk and I’m on the left end with white spots on the parka, good thing I was there or I’d never known myself, 22 below yesterday. Love to all, Mike.” Photograph dated 1932 November, letter on back dated 1932 December 1 | 1932 November-December |
| 2/9 | 3 | Eskimo cast and crew photo Christmas card. Writing on the back of the card reads: “Teller, Alaska, Dec. 1, 1932. Hello Polly & Family: How’s that new niece getting along, and those other two too and the rest of youse guys? This is an awful looking outfit but we just got these back from Nome yesterday and its too late to take another one and get it fixed in time so here she comes. Its the bunch of us on the ice by the Nanuk taken a couple weeks ago. Having a great time up here seeing this country by land & sea, leaving the first of next month by dog team for Cape Lisburne about 500 miles north of here, among the polar bear, that should be a lot of fun and just an old timer up here and I are going at first, later the cameras come up. Merry Christmas & Love to all, Mike.” Photograph dated 1932 November, letter on back dated 1932 December 1 | 1932 November-December |
| 2/9 | 4 | Eskimo cast and crew photo Christmas card. Writing on the back of the card reads: “Taken in November 1932, Grantley Harbor, Teller, Alaska. Location for ‘The Eskimo.’ Troupe on the ice by the Nanuk” | 1932 November |
| 2/9 | 5 | Eskimo cast and crew photo Christmas card | 1932 November |
| 2/9 | 6 | Copy negative of Eskimo cast and crew photo Christmas card | undated |
| 2/10 | 1 | “Our new director Dick Rasson and I on the Nanuk” | circa 1933 |
| 2/10 | 2 | Director Richard Rasson, first cameraman Leonard Smith, Natives, and other crew members on the deck of the Nanuk | circa 1933 |
| 2/10 | 3 | Natives and crew on the deck of the Nanuk | circa 1933 |
| 2/10 | 4 | Director Richard Rasson with paddle in a kayak | circa 1933 |
| 2/10 | 5 | “Our first cameraman, Len Smith, Rasson, one of the sailors and I looking at some ivory at King Island.” | circa 1933 |
| 2/10 | 6 | “[Left to right] Al Scheving-Asst. Cameraman, Paul Vogel-2nd Cameraman, Dick Rasson-Director, Hans Mirrow- Pilot on plane above Smith. [Later handwritten comment] 12/24/39. Hans crashed and was killed with his mechanic looking for one of his ships that was down at Nulatto [Nulato]. Found other ship O.K. yesterday. Hans found dead today.” | circa 1933 |
| 2/10 | 7 | Crew members with bottles of beer in front of lifeboats | circa 1933 |
| 2/10 | 8 | Lifeboats and men on board ship | circa 1933 |
| 2/10 | 9 | Film crew set up on the ice | circa 1933 |
| 2/10 | 10-11 | Siberian Natives beginning to butcher whale | 1933 July |
| 2/10 | 12-13 | Man sick in bed | circa 1933 |
| 2/10 | 14 | “Whale spouting in center of picture” | circa 1933 |
| 2/10 | 15 | “A sunset shot taken about 8:30 P.M. about Apr. 15, 1933, and a dog team out on the ice” | 1933 April 15 |
| 2/10 | 16 | Film crew and Natives in white parkas in front of ice bungalow off Cape Lisburne | 1933 |
| 2/10 | 17-19 | Original duplicates of select images | circa 1933 |
| 2/10 | 20-33 | Copy negatives of select images | undated |
| 2/11 | 1 | Photo postcard: Native woman and two children; D+D [photographers]; “Meet my wife and family. Not bad for such a short time, huh?” | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/11 | 2 | Photo postcard: “Cape Prince of Wales.” Group photo of villagers against building; D+D [photographers]; “About the total population at Cape Prince of Wales. There may have been a few of them out after seal or fishing.” | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/11 | 3 | Photo postcard: “Walrus Head with Three Tusks, King Island 1932”; D+D [photographers]; “A freak walrus head” | 1932 |
| 2/11 | 4 | Photo postcard: “Reindeer at Cape Riley”; D+D [photographers]; “A few reindeer near here” | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/11 | 5 | Photo postcard: “King Island; D+D [photographers]; “We stopped at this island on the way here from Nome” | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/11 | 6 | Photo postcard: “Unalaska from Mount Newhall 5/29/32”; “Unalaska, and Dutch Harbor in the background” | 1932 May 29 |
| 2/11 | 7 | Photo postcard: Ice houses | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/11 | 8 | Photo postcard: Ice bungalow off Cape Lisburne, Alaska. | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/11 | 9 | Photo postcard: Two men in fur parkas and stocking caps in front of ice bungalow off Cape Lisburne, Alaska. | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/11 | 10 | Photo postcard: “Some of the igloos we brought up here with us. You can get an idea of the size from the little native kid in the doorway of one of them.” | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/11 | 11 | Photo postcard: “Teller, Alaska, 1932. Our winter camp before winter came.” | 1932 |
| 2/11 | 12 | Photo postcard: “The ‘Northland’ Revenue Cutter that stays up here in the Summer” | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/11 | 13 | Photo postcard: The Nanuk frozen into the ice in Grantley Harbor, Teller, Alaska. | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/11 | 14 | Photo postcard: The Nanuk frozen into the ice and a tractor pulling a covered sled. | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/11 | 15-17 | Photo postcard: Unidentified ice piles or formations. | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/11 | 18-21 | Original duplicates of select images | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/11 | 22-35 | Copy negatives of select images | undated |
| 2/12 | 1 | Russian Orthodox cemetery churchyard | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/12 | 2 | Film crew members and Natives standing and sitting on beach | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/12 | 3 | “Metcalf, our cook at Lisburne & Pt. Hope, then me, Hans Mirrow, one of our pilots with the N.A.T. Northern Air Transportation Co., Al Blackman. When we left Point Hope for Nome. [Later comment] Hans crashed & died 12/24/39. Found. . .while looking for a downed ship. | 1933 July 1 |
| 2/12 | 4 | Movie set among palm trees | circa 1932-1933 |
| 2/12 | 5-8 | Copy negatives of select images | undated |