Vilhjalmur Stefansson spent a total of ten winters and seven summers travelling through the northern regions in 1906 - 1918.  With his companions, he travelled on foot and by dog sledge, covering a distance of approximately 32,000 kilometers, often in extreme conditions.  Stefansson was able to collect new and important anthropological evidence when he, for example, was the first anthropologis to study the culture of the Copper-Inuit on Victoria Island.

Stefansson dragging a seal back to camp.  This was his favorite picture and the cover photo for his book "The Friendly Arctic", but Stefansson said to survive in the Arctic one would have to adapt to the way of life the Eskimos were leading and live with the nature but not battle against it.