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Blossoming Tundra: The Photography of Rutherford Platt

Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum & Arctic Studies Center Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum & Arctic Studies Center

Exhibition: Blossoming Tundra: The Photography of Rutherford Platt

Dates:

Location:

Hubbard Hall foyer
Photo exhibit of Arctic flowers

Selected Works

Rutherford Platt, Arctic Rose, Dryas integrifolia, Seed Head, August 14, 1947, Thule, Greenland. 35mm Kodachrome transparency. Gift of Alexander D. Platt, ‘66, Rutherford Platt, Jr., and Susan Platt.

Rutherford Platt, Bog Rosemary, Andromeda polifolia, 1947, Hawke’s Harbour, Labrador. 35mm Kodachrome transparency. Gift of Alexander D. Platt, ‘66, Rutherford Platt, Jr., and Susan Platt.
Ralph Hubbard, Rud and close-up setup (camera), Aboard the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾, 1947. Gift of Mrs. Nora Hubbard.
Rutherford Platt, Roseroot Rhodiola rosea, July 1, 1947, Antilles Cove, Labrador. 35mm Kodachrome transparency. Gift of Alexander D. Platt, ‘66, Rutherford Platt, Jr., and Susan Platt.

About

Flowers bloom profusely in the brief summers of the high Arctic, thriving in the 24-hour daylight despite low temperatures, little water, strong winds, and little or no soil. Growing low to the ground, tiny blossoms can be found scattered on otherwise bare ground or growing in dense mats. They bloom almost as soon as the snow begins to melt and continue through the short summer.

In 1947 and 1954 botanist and photographer Rutherford Platt sailed north aboard the Schooner ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ to study these remarkable plants. Platt specialized in macrophotography and somehow managed to find space aboard the ship for his specialized lighting and camera setup. With it, he took a series of remarkable close-up photographs to highlight the wonders of these remarkable tiny flowers and illustrate their specialized adaptations.