Arctic Fever: new exhibit finds 19th-century parallels to Trump's Greenland obsession

"Shortly before the United States descended into civil war and senior administration officials made a forceful case to purchase Greenland for its natural resources, an American ship appeared in Nuuk's harbour. Its arrival at Greenland's largest outpost was newsworthy enough to merit a large picture in the local newspaper. The clipping, published in 1861, comes from the pages of the Atuagagdliutt, a Kalaallisut-language weekly that was the first in the world to use colour illustrations."

"The image of early US interest in Greenland forms part of a newly opened exhibition on 19th-century Arctic exploration at the University of Toronto's Thomas Fisher rare book library. Arctic Fever, which draws together lithographs, books, maps and ephemera, offers some uncanny parallels to today's scramble for the north, showcasing the ambition, hubris and hunger for territory and resources that still drive much interest in the region."

An exhibition at the University of Toronto's Thomas Fisher rare book library assembles 19th-century lithographs, books, maps and ephemera related to Arctic exploration. A 1861 Kalaallisut newspaper clipping showing an American ship in Nuuk illustrates early US engagement with Greenland. Historic records show senior US officials pursued Greenland and Iceland for strategic value, including William Seward's 1867 desire to acquire the islands. The exhibition connects nineteenth-century ambition, hubris and hunger for territory and resources to contemporary interest in the Arctic, highlighting long-standing geopolitical and resource-driven motivations behind efforts to control northern territories.

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