Captain George Comer and other men in covered whaleboat, Hudson Bay, Canadian Arctic

• Format: Still Image
• Language: unknown
• Published: Ownership Statement: Mystic Seaport 1897
• Subjects: Whalers (Persons); Ship captains; Whaling masters; Whaling; Whaleboats; Boats and boating; Comer; George; Arctic; Bedford; Hudson; Hudson Bay; New Bedford
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11134/70002:5455

Captain George Comer and other men are sitting in a covered whaleboat in Hudson Bay, ca. 1897-1912. Comer is in the foreground. A cook stove and wooden bucket are also visible. Infrastructure Livelihood Title supplied by cataloger. Information from original envelope identifies this as Photo 175. During the period of floe whaling in May and June, the whaleboats were hauled across the ice to open water and used to hunt whales. Each boat was also fitted with a framework and canvas cover so it could be used for shelter. Captain George Comer (1858-1937) was a sealer and whaling captain from East Haddam. He went to sea while still in his teens and was later master of vessels from both New London and New Bedford. Comer participated in voyages involved in polar expeditions and was noted for his studies of Arctic peoples and their environment.