Here the ice party has stopped to repair a broken sledge. In the background are pressure-ridges formed by the heaving of the ice pack. The ridges, usually found close to shore, made the trek rather difficult. Beyond the ridges would lie "leads" or open stretches of water between the packs which were constantly closing and opening.
Stefansson discovered Brock and Borden Islands (1915) and Meighen and Lougheed Islands (1916). In his unprecedented and spectacular exploration, he managed to outline for the first time the continental shelf from Alaska to Prince Patrick Island and to reveal the submarine mountains and valleys beneath the Beaufort Sea. This photograph was taken by George H. Wilkins, official photographer of the expedition.
This sledge believed to have belonged to Stefansson was found at Knight's Harbour in 1954 and sent to the Public Archives which later transferred it to the collection of the National Museum of Man. As you can see, it is identical to the sledge in the photograph of the Stefansson expedition.
Courtesy: McIntosh and Otis, from The Friendly Arctic, Vilhjalmur Stefansson, (New York: Macmillan, 1921) National Museum of Man, National Museums of Canada
