Vintage photographs, Camp Century and Greenland

Snowblast Plow on Greenland Ice Sheet

This is a photograph of the Snowblast, device used to process snow to make for a firmer runway surfaces and to excavate trenches. It was tested in 1958 and 1959 but never returned to Greenland after that. Caption on the back reads, SNOW MACHINE AT…

Glacier Ski Club Certificate

President of glacier ski club Robert J. Giesen accepting certificate with other team members at the finish line on Greenland Ice Sheet. Original caption: "Col. Robert J. Giesen, fourth from left, accepting certificate as honorary president of…

Ski Club Tow Service

Ski club members being pulled up the hill by a snow tractor used as a ski lift. Original caption: "Glacier S.C. tow service."

Cold drinks in a snowy doorway

Shows open doorway filled with drifted snow. In that snow are cans presumably being kept cold. Caption reads, "A snow choked doorway becomes an auxiliary beverage cooler for 1st Lt. Larry A. Biddison, 23, of Palo Alto, Calif, administrative officer…

B. Lyle Hansen & Chester C. Langway examine Camp Century subglacial sediment

B. Lyle Hansen & Chester C. Langway examine Camp Century subglacial sediment. CCREL official press photo taken sometime after core collection (1966) and core segment cutting (c. 1972).
Original description from source: Bryon Hansen; Chester Langway…

Putting on skis

Three Glacier Ski Club members putting on their skis in the snow next to two giant wheels of a 10-ton Thompson Trailer which carrier a prefab building used as a portable lodge. Original caption: "Glacier S.C. members ready for the big day."

Skiers at Camp Tuto

Group of skiers at the edge of the ice cap at Camp Tuto, Greenland. Original caption: "At the edge of the Ice Cap, Camp Tuto, Greenland."

Constructing Camp Century

A giant crane with the help of two men moving materials into a freshly cut tunnel in the snow, multiple flags; photo from City Under the Ice book title page (page 2)

US Army PR&DC Officers

Colonel G.W. Homann standing with two other officers of the US Army Polar Research and Development Center. Original caption: "Colonel G.W. Homann (left) with officers of his staff." Page 7 of City Under the Ice book

Camp Century Entrance

A tunnel entrance cut into the snow with a light swing in front of it and a man standing on the edge, multiple flags along the edges. Original caption: "Entrance to the main communication trench, Camp Century." Page 18

Ice Cliffs at the Edge of Greenland

A man looks small standing on rocky ground next to the large ice cliff at the edge of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Original caption: "Cliffs of ice and snow form the face of the Greenland icecap." Page 20

Glacier on the Coast

A path of snow and ice between two small hills on the coast of Greenland connecting the ice sheet to the ocean. Original caption: "Glacial ice flows slowly and continually toward the sea." Page 21

Robert E. Peary and His Dogs

An early explorer of northern Greenland wears fur clothing and boots while holding three husky's on leashes, in front of a small building with a window and ladder. Original caption: "Robert E. Peary, an early explorer of northern Greenland." Page 24

Mount Dundas Behind Thule Air Base

Snow and ice separate Mount Dundas in the background from buildings and materials of Thule Air Base in the foreground. Original Caption: "Mount Dundas. In the foreground are storage tanks
and buildings of Thule Air Force Base." Page 26

Knud Rasmussen

Portrait of Knud Rasmussen wearing fur; Danish explorer who established the first European settlement at Thule with his friend Peter Freuchen and recommended Thule for the first Arctic military air base. Original caption: "Knud Rasmussen" page 30.

Peter Freuchen

Peter Freuchen in a knit sweater; Danish explorer who established the first European settlement in Thule with his friend Knud Rasmussen. Original caption: "Peter Freuchen" page 31

Native Greenlanders Hunting

Three Native Greenlanders on a hunting trip wearing fur garments, one with sunglasses sitting on a sled in the snow with dog leashes, the other two standing next to the sled. Original caption: "Greenland Eskimos of today on a hunting trip" page 32

Aerial View of Camp Tuto

Aerial view of Camp Tuto: roads, buildings, and materials lined up in the bottom left corner. Thule Air Base, Mount Dundas, and North Star Bay in the background, at the top of the image. Original caption: "Camp Tuto, with Thule, Mount Dundas, and…

First Convoy Arrival at North Star Bay

Three ships plus one in the distance among melting sea ice in North Star Bay bringing materials to construct Thule Air Base. Original caption: "A part of the first U.S. convoy arriving in North Star Bay, March, 1951" page 36

Unloading the Ships

Men unloading a truck onto the coast from a ship labeled "297" in North Star Bay to construct Thule Air Base. Four men stand on the coast, five on the ship, one in the truck. Original caption: "Unloading cargo." page 37

Construction at Thule

Two large cranes in front of a building in the beginning stages of construction on dug up, rocky ground. Original caption: "Construction proceeding at Thule." page 38-39

Skier on a Slope in Greenland

A skier standing next to a slope, looking small next to the cliff edge, hills in the background. Original caption: "Another part of the icecap with a slope forming an easily accessible area." page 42

Camp Tuto from Above

Aerial view of Camp Tuto, buildings and materials lined up, ice sheet in the background at the top of the image. Original caption: "Aerial view of Camp Tuto looking toward the icecap." page 44-45

US Army Helicopters in Greenland

Two US Army helicopters next to two wanigans part of a heavy swing, men standing and watching, multiple flags. Original caption: "H-34 helicopters on the icecap." page 46-47

View of N-34 (Site II) from Communications Building

View of N-34 (Site II) from a communication building showing the different barracks and working tunnels with the the radar dome positioned at the end. There are two towers (escape? ventilation?) at opposite ends of the base with a crane and worker…

Map of N-33/N-34 Bases

This is a floor layout of the branches and buildings of the N-33/34 bases (these are also known as sites I and II as well as the Ice Cap and Etah Air stations and G-33, G-34) that were constructed. There is a legend in the bottom left indicating…

Establishing Coordinates on the Ice Cap at Site I or II

Three soldiers are using equipment to determine position based on the sun. Behind them there is an American plane (C-47) which is equipped to land on the ice sheets. "Fig 1. Establishing Coordinates by Solar Fix Near N-34".

Digging the Camp Tuto Ice Tunnel

A tunneling machine begins the ice tunnel. Moraine gravel and boulders have been cleared and wooden planks partly covered with a tarp on the top left of the image prevent rock fall. Cuts into the ice made by the machine show clearly. Original…

Dumping Shaved Ice from Ice Tunnel Excavation

Next to two small buildings or trailers, a conveyor belt dumps shaved ice from digging the ice tunnel into a large pile on the ground with large rocks; a rocky hill in the background is likely glacial moraine. Original caption: "Shaved ice being…

Outside the Camp Tuto Ice Tunnel

The exterior of the Camp Tuto ice tunnel; wooden planks partly covered with a tarp above the entrance, on rocky moriane underlain by ice;. This is likely a safety precaution to prevent falling rocks. A conveyor belt carrying ice out of the tunnel…

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