Healthy, happy, and numerous sled dogs were always crucial to many Arctic expeditions. The fact that they were pretty cute is just a plus.
These sled dogs are piled on to the deck of Bob Bartlett’s ship, the Effie Morrissey. Reginald Wilcox took this photo in 1940.
-M
Just learnt that today is Take Your Dog to Work Day! Seems only appropriate to share this photo of Kashe-A-How, Donald MacMillan’s lead sled dog on the 1908-1909 North Pole expedition. The 200 dogs on the expedition were hard workers and essential in getting the team to the Pole.
MacMillan actually liked Kashe-A-How so much, he shipped him home from Greenland to Provincetown as a pet…so, in essence, he took this dog home from work.
“Everyone likes a puppy. The Eskimo children do. I think this is one reason why certain Eskimo dogs are so affectionate, especially those born in the Eskimo home which became pets of the children. I can never forget my dogs, who were always ready and really eager to respond to an act of kindness.”
Quote and slide (whose label identifies the Inuit girl as Shoeegingwah) from Donald MacMillan’s lecture on the Crocker Land expedition. To see more, visit the Museum’s page on this lecture here.
Peary’s 1908-09 expedition to the Pole was powered by sledges, pulled across the ice by husky dogs. Over 200 dogs went on the expedition, and worked just as hard as the human explorers to transport food and supplies to the Pole!
This photo was taken on the expedition, probably by Donald MacMillan. Imagine staring at dog butts for hours every day for a whole month, and you get an idea of what the trip to the Pole was like…
