Hunting by Steam in Melville Bay 1869

William Bradford took this photograph, "Hunting by Steam in Melville Bay," during one of his voyages to the Arctic. Bradford, who was raised a Quaker, would find himself traveling to remote regions of the world. Here, Bradford documents a hunting expedition by steamship. But more than adventure, the image embodies the fraught encounter between the West and the indigenous Arctic communities. The industrial revolution made these voyages possible, changing forever the relationship between humans and the natural world. The hunters on the ice, dwarfed by the steamship, capture a moment of both conquest and vulnerability. Bradford’s photographs often elicit complex emotions of awe, respect, and also concern. "Hunting by Steam in Melville Bay" leaves us with a sense of wonder and the unsettling awareness of humanity's impact on fragile environments.