Penn Museum Image #11328
This week’s image really makes you feel the cold that December and January bring. This photograph features Eskimo children playing in the snow at 50 degrees below zero in Point Barrow, Alaska, 1917-1919. Point Barrow is the northernmost point in the United States. The image was taken by William Van Valin, who led an expedition to Alaska, funded by John Wanamaker. Van Valin conducted archaeological excavations on mounds found in Point Barrow, but also collected artifacts and undertook ethnographic research. Van Valin was also an avid photographer and amassed a large collection of photographs, which are now housed in the archives.
On behalf of the Penn Museum Archives, Happy Holidays!
