Embassy of Canada Art Gallery
When:
May 3 - July 20, 2018
Where:
Embassy of Canada Art Gallery
501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20001
Captain George Comer and the Inuit of Hudson Bay to open at Embassy of Canada Art Gallery, 
May 3 to July 20, 2018
 
Washington, D.C., May 1, 2018 – The Embassy of Canada, in partnership with the Mystic Seaport Museum and in collaboration with the Canadian Museum of History, is pleased to host Captain George Comer and the Inuit of Hudson Bay, an art exhibition featuring artefacts, photographs, voice recordings and facial casts of the Inuit people Captain Comer met and interacted with during his Arctic expeditions.

Captain George Comer (1858-1937) of East Haddam, Connecticut, enjoyed dual careers as a successful Arctic whaling captain and amateur anthropologist, and is best known for his documentation of the Inuit.
 
During the years 1895 to 1912, Comer created an extraordinary record of the lives of Inuit in the vicinity of Cape Fullerton (now known as Qatiktalik, Nunavut) on the west coast of Hudson Bay. Here he relied extensively on the whaling skills and hunting of Inuit men and the sewing of Inuit women, who produced essential caribou fur clothing and sealskin boots for Comer and his crew.
 
This exhibition, drawn from material collected by Captain Comer, captures a moment in time. Comer’s body of work – in collaboration with noted anthropologist Franz Boas – provides an intimate and sensitive portrait of people whose way of life was changing. His work also reveals his appreciation for the ingenuity, skills, and character of his Inuit companions.  They supported Comer’s whaling by willingly sharing their knowledge and helping him to survive.  Their cooperation also enabled him to create a unique record of Inuit cultural history.
 
Captain George Comer and the Inuit of Hudson Bay opens May 3, 2018, through July 20, 2018. The Embassy’s art gallery is located next to the Newseum at 501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW and is open to the public Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm, free of charge.

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Contacts

Michelle Mahoney
Media Relations Officer, Embassy of Canada
Washington, D.C.
michelle.mahoney@international.gc.ca
202-448-6391
 
Dan McFadden
Director of Communications, Mystic Seaport Museum
Mystic, CT
dan.mcfadden@mysticseaport.org
860-572-5317
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