Walrus Bay 1944 og 2001

A series of 10 x photographs from Walrus Bay near Scoresbysund/ Ittoqqortoormiit in white frames with pencil annotations, possibly featuring excerpts from the 1944 diary of Captain Robert P. Sykes, USAAC – Commander of the 8th Weather Squadron Detachment: 8 x color photographs of the ground where the U.S. weather station in Walrus Bay used to be located,

Nine of the ten photographs were taken by Pia Arke during her visit to Scoresbysund/ Ittoqqortoormiit in 2001. The frames and annotations were added in spring 2003 prior to the opening of her solo show Scoresbysundhistorier – retrospektivt (Stories from Scoresbysund – In Retrospective), Møstings Hus, Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, April 26 – May 18, 2003, during which time Arke got different people passing by to write the text on the frames

1. Color photograph of the ground, where the U.S. weather station in Walrus Bay near Scoresbysund/Ittoqqortoormiit used to
   be located, in white frame with pencil annotations, possibly featuring an excerpt from the 1944 diary of Captain Robert P.
   Sykes, USAAC – Commander of the 8th Weather Squadron Detachment, 29 x 42 cm incl. frame

2. B/w photograph of Walrus Bay near Scoresbysund/Ittoqqortoormiit, with hair and black marker circle in white frame with pencil annotations, possibly featuring an excerpt from the 1944 diary of Captain Robert P. Sykes, USAAC – Commander of the 8th Weather Squadron Detachment. The English text on the frame reads: “We went back to the Belle Isle and then over to Walrusbay. Everyone was favorably impressed. The area was relatively flat here and delta in shape, and surrounded to the East and North by low mountains. These mountains increase in elevation with distance from the area. The beach was sand and gravel, and without rocks. The beach was in two parts. There is a sandbar.” 32.7 x 32.7 cm framed

3. Color photograph of the ground, where the U.S. weather station in Walrus Bay near Scoresbysund/Ittoqqortoormiit used to be located, in white frame with pencil annotations, possibly featuring an excerpt from the 1944 diary of Captain Robert P. Sykes, USAAC – Commander of the 8th Weather Squadron Detachment. The English text on the frame reads: “2 august 1944, 0300Z. Proceeded toward Scoresbysund. Land was sighted at 0700Z. Weather was squally and the cliffs that rose precipitously out of the sea to a height of about 700 feet were part of Cape Brewster guarding the Southern approaches to Scoresby Sound. By 1130Z we entered Walrus Bay and sighted the Village of Scoresbysund”. 29 x 42 cm framed.

4. Color photograph of the ground, where the U.S. weather station in Walrus Bay near Scoresbysund/Ittoqqortoormiit used to be located, in white frame with pencil annotations, possibly featuring an excerpt from the 1944 diary of Captain Robert P. Sykes, USAAC – Commander of the 8th Weather Squadron Detachment. The English text on the frame reads: “the power house was completed. For the first time coffee and sandwiches were served to the work party at 0900 and 1500.”. 29 x 42 cm framed.

5. Color photograph of the ground, where the U.S. weather station in Walrus Bay near Scoresbysund/Ittoqqortoormiit used to be located, in white frame with pencil annotations, possibly featuring an excerpt from the 1944 diary of Captain Robert P. Sykes, USAAC – Commander of the 8th Weather Squadron Detachment. The English text on the frame reads: “Lt. Griffith was instructed on the most desirable arrangement for locations of barracks, operations and auxiliary structures at 1930Z, the first barge load came ashore with the tractor and lumber”. 42 x 29 cm framed.

6. Appropriated b/w aerial photograph of Walrus Bay near Scoresbysund/Ittoqqortoormiit from c. 1950, in white frame with pencil annotations, possibly featuring an excerpt from the 1944 diary of Captain Robert P. Sykes, USAAC – Commander of the 8th Weather Squadron Detachment. The English text on the frame reads: “in back of this is a lagoon which fills to a depth of about foot at high tide, while in-land from this bassin the land rises to a low rolling plain, with gravel giving way to tundra and scattered boulders. about four-tenth of a mile inland and in the South-east part of the delta, is a knoll averaging near 30 ft. in elevation above sea level. here the ground is generally fi rm, with drainage in all directions. the surface area of this knoll is perhaps one-third of a square mile. just to the west is a streambed and two-tenth of a mile farther to the East is a large lake. the lake is deep enough so that water can be drawn the year round. unloading conditions are good since a barge can be run up on the sand very close to the waters edge. heavy swell seldom affects the area because of ice pack out to the sea. strong on-shore Southwesterly winds are infrequent. tidal range is about three feet. however, one does have to be weary [sic] of small chunks of ice, which, with the tide and the wind, may come close to shore to prevent free movement over the shallow bottom. the bottom drops off fairly rapidly so that a distance of about 500 ft. from shore there is a good holding ground with a depth of about 30 feet”. 29.2 x 29.2 cm framed.

7. Color photograph of the ground, where the U.S. weather station in Walrus Bay near Scoresbysund/Ittoqqortoormiit used to be located, in white frame with pencil annotations, possibly featuring an excerpt from the 1944 diary of Captain Robert P. Sykes, USAAC – Commander of the 8th Weather Squadron Detachment. The English text on the frame reads: “in the evening, Greenlanders from the village came into the camp area for the purpose of collecting refuse paper, wood, and packing materials. The Greenlanders held the jeep in awe: When several of them were given a ride, they were almost boundless in their enthusiasm. during the junk collection program, women and girls did most of the work”. 29 x 42 cm framed.

8. Color photograph of the ground, where the U.S. weather station in Walrus Bay near Scoresbysund/Ittoqqortoormiit used to be located, in white frame with pencil annotations, possibly featuring an excerpt from the 1944 diary of Captain Robert P. Sykes, USAAC – Commander of the 8th Weather Squadron Detachment. The English text on the frame reads: “5 august 1944. it was possible to anchor the Belle Isle about 300 yards off shore and about 450 yards from the proposed landing place. Discharge of the cargo began immediately. the first items to be taken off were the pontoon barge sections. other heavy units such as the tractor, jeep, compressor came off early so they could be put to practical use. Lieutenants Alter and Griffi th went ashore immediately to lay out the antenna system and to lay out the positions of the buildings”. 29 x 42 cm framed.

9. Color photograph of the ground, where the U.S. weather station in Walrus Bay near Scoresbysund/Ittoqqortoormiit used to be located, in white frame with pencil annotations, possibly featuring an excerpt from the 1944 diary of Captain Robert P. Sykes, USAAC – Commander of the 8th Weather Squadron Detachment. The English text on the frame reads: “it didn’t take us long to realize that the buildings were of an insubstantial nature. in short, the exterior facing consisted of 1/4 inch ply. the construction was pre-fabricated. When the side panels were in place it was possible to move an individual panel several small fractions of an inch by simply resting your hand lightly against it. the interior basing was also weak and had to be improved by the engineers. the buildings had the overall appearance of cardboard houses. it did not take much imagination to conceive these buildings as being suitable for the tropics, and even then it is not likely that they would hold up because they obviously were not suited for climate having much moisture. perhaps some desert isle.”. 29 x 42 cm framed.

10. Color photograph of the ground, where the U.S. weather station in Walrus Bay near Scoresbysund/Ittoqqortoormiit used to be located, in white frame with pencil annotations, possibly featuring an excerpt from the 1944 diary of Captain Robert P. Sykes, USAAC – Commander of the 8th Weather Squadron Detachment. The English text on the frame reads: “the work day was from 0600 through 1900. Packice pushed the Belle Isle at 1700Z threatening the barges and damaging the skiff”. 29 x 42 cm framed.

2001/2003

Collection of the Danish National Museum of Photography, Copenhagen./ The Danish National Art Library, Copenhagen.