Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen was the first to reach the South Pole, but the Arctic was his first love. He designed his own ship, named it for Queen Maud of Norway, and christened it with a block of ice. The well-equipped expedition set off from Norway in June 1918 to explore the area near the North Pole. The ship spent its first two winters frozen in Arctic ice. In 1921, the "Maud" came to Seattle for repairs before heading back to the Arctic. Amundsen brought two Chukchi girls with him, with the aim of providing them with a European education. The younger girl was named Cakonita Amundsen and the older one Camilla Carpendale. They both came from Siberia and belonged to the Chukchi ethnic group, who are closely related to the Inuit peoples of Alaska and Canada. Amundsen took the girls to Norway, but after about three years they returned to the Arctic and eventually settled in British Columbia.

Handwritten on sleeve: Amundsen & Esquimaux Girls.
Webster & Stevens number: 86163

Dates of Amundsen's visit: July 4, 1921 - Jan. 5, 1922; provided by Ibi Engsbyue of Follo Museum, Norway