These amazing photos document the lives of Alaska’s Eskimos during one of North America’s biggest ever gold rushes that brought first contact between natives and the outside world.
The natives of Nome, Alaska, were photographed between 1909 and 1932 by Henry and Alfred Lomen as thousands of Americans flocked north to make their fortunes.
The ‘Three Lucky Swedes’ found fields of easily-accessible gold and word soon got out about their discovery leading to the area’s population booming by more than 350 per cent as people flocked in to share in its riches.
Lomen’s collection offers a rare glimpse in the natives’ everyday life during this time, from hunting walrus and seals to ceremonial dances, outdoor cooking, and children paddling on a lake.
Nome’s Eskimos lived in igloos or huts lined with animal skins with their possessions bundled along with walls or hanging from wooden beams that made structure stand.
Children were depicted rugged up in warm coats or helping their mothers cook on an open fire in outdoor kitchens despite the freezing cold.
In times of celebration they would participate in ceremonial dances, many watching from rooftops, and when they died be buried in elaborate graves along with their guns.
Their unique methods and examples – from their heavy, bundled furs to their exhaustive hunt for meat across the ice and sea – are shown proven methods of survival for the past 5,000 years.
As seen in the men and women who trucked across the frozen land with snow shoes strapped to their feet, the main hunting ground was the pack ice.
There walruses and seals would be speared, their meat taken as well as their tusks, as shown in a photo of several men spreading the skin out with their boat in the background.
On the water kayaks would take to the sea, battling whales with spears despite the astonishing contrasted size of hunter versus prey – or just potter around a lake rowed by smiling children.
Back on land, ice holes could be dug out for fishing as well as caribou and reindeer killed, and their fur bundled up and sold to the new influx of prospectors needing warm clothes.
Until well into the 20th century, their food and culture was based on hunting. But later, as seen in one picture, scavenging for items like berries became a popular option too.
These amazing photos document the lives of Alaska’s Eskimos during one of North America’s biggest ever gold rushes that brought first contact between natives and the outside world
Nome’s Eskimos lived in igloos or huts like this one that were lined with animal skins and could house a big family
The natives of Nome, Alaska, were photographed between 1909 and 1932 by Henry and Alfred Lomen as thousands of Americans flocked north to make their fortunes
On the water kayaks would take to the sea, battling whales with spears despite the astonishing contrasted size of hunter versus prey – or just potter around a lake rowed by smiling children like these
The main hunting ground was the pack ice where walrus would be speared and brought back to camp
Their meat taken as well as their tusks, as shown in a photo of several men spreading the skin out with their boat in the background
This Eskimo kayaker wears a water-proof jacket and poses proudly with a toy boat he made for his son
Until well into the 20th century, their food and culture was based on hunting. But later, as seen in one picture, scavenging for items like berries like these woman became a popular option too
In times of celebration they would participate in ceremonial dances, many watching from rooftops
Women cooked in outdoor kitchens surrounded by pots and pans despite the freezing cold, alongside their children
This fisherman has dug an ice hole to pluck arctic fish from beneath the ice sheet to complement the hunting kills
An Eskimo hut held up with wooden beams and covered in thick cloth, with many of their possessions hanging from the roof
Inside another hut with a well-constructed wooden floor and an animal skin roof where Eskimos sheltered from the weather
When they died, Eskimos were buried in these with huge animal bones, tall crosses, and their guns hanging from posts
Eskimo girl Mukpi (left), the youngest survivor of the S.S. Karluk laughs while rugged up in a fur coat, while a male villager smokes a pipe inside his hut
Eskimos enjoying a sports day by the beach, likely during summer, in nearby Barrow, Alaska
Eskimos hunted caribou and reindeer, eating their meat and then selling the fur to the new influx of prospectors needing warm clothes
An Eskimo child plays on a sandy beach while a hunter armed with a rifle and snow skis stalks prey across the ice
Not all reindeer were killed as some were captured and used to drag items, though this one was apparently ‘rebellious’
Eskimos stored items on structures raised well above the possible snow lines and secured from the biting wind with ropes
Some Eskimos lived on the sides of hills on nearby King island, making their huts on stilts against the steep cliff face