Life in Greenland, 1953

Commander Donald B. MacMillan, who accompanied Robert Peary on his expedition to the North Pole in 1909, is interviewed by Charles Collingwood. MacMillan, 79 years old, recalls the expedition through photographic records and film footage of Arctic life. Junius Bouton Bird, curator of archaeology at the AMNH, narrates films that depict polar bears, aerial views of the Arctic, and aspects of Eskimo life, including an examination of their daily life and culture; Eskimo kayaking, hunting, fishing, sledding; herding muskoxen; and harpooning a walrus. A family of polar bears play actively under MacMillan's boat. Bird discusses the adaptability and survival of Eskimo in Greenland. The sled and other gear used by Peary on his expedition are presented and discussed in the studio.