The Explorers Club rejection fax (Arctic Hysteria)
In the spring of 1995 during a visit to the Explorers Club, New York City, Arke discovered a photograph of an inuit women being seized by american explorers and was informed by the local curator that the Greenlandic woman in the picture was possibly suffering from ‘Arctic Hysteria’. Back in Copenhagen later that spring, Arke requested a reproduction of the photograph, upon which the club on May 2 sent her a fax featuring reproductions of two different photographs of the restrained Greenlandic woman to chose from. On May 9, a second fax from the club followed, in which Arke’s request to use the photograph and its companion shot was declined due to their sensitive nature. Adhering to this rejection, Arke refrained from using the photograph, but applied the designation ‘Arctic Hysteria’ to a series of other works.
The fax reads:
“Dear Pia
We do regret to inform you at this late date that due to its sensitive nature the Club is placing restrictions on the photograph you requested and its companion shot with a ship. Use of these photographs are restricted to research purposes only: no photographs will be made of them. Chariman of the Archives Committee, Penelope Bodry-Sanders, has had much experience with such matters when she was Archivist at the American Museum of Natural History and I defer to her sound advice.
I am so pleased that you took the time to come and view the collection and I do hope that you will visit upon your return. Again thank you fo rthe photographs you so generously donated to the Club. John Flint, whose collections of ivory and bone carvings you saw in the entrance hall, says he must have known your father - as he knew all the telegraph operators…
Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding to your request. Best wishes for your presentation.
Sincerely Janet. E. Baldwin
Curator of Archives
May 8th, 1995”