The Far North

image via Top Flyer

I've been reading this old book lately called David Goes to Greenland, written by a 13-year old boy, David Binney Putnam, in 1926 who gets to tag along with his father on an expedition to Greenland.  He tells fabulous tales of icebergs and walrus and polar bears and narwhals, although I had to put the book down when all the hunting became too much (they kill just about every animal they see, albeit for scientific purposes).  I picked it up when my mom and I went to the dump in Vermont, which has a large free section, with as many books as any hoarder could want. 

Coming across these paintings today on Design Sponge, by artist Jeremy Miranda, reminded me so much of what David must have seen.

The closest I've come to seeing Greenland was on a flight from Glasgow to Chicago, and I stared out the window for hours looking at the white ice formations below.  They slowly changed to brown as we flew over Labrador, and I could begin to pick out the signs of arriving civilization, skinny road by road.  I'll never forget that flight, and the flight attendant that got mad at me because I wouldn't close my window screen so others could see their movie better.  It was well worth the glares from the lady in the seat next to me.

One of my other favorite arctic books is Kabloona, although it is a much more in depth look at the people of the far north, written at about the same time.  Both of these have stirred in me a strong desire to see the arctic before it's too changed/gone, but for now old photos and dreamy paintings like this will have to do.