George W. Rice
Encyclopedia
George Walter Rice was a Canadian-born photographer who was first to photograph the Arctic region on the ill-fated American led Lady Franklin Bay Expedition
of 1881 to 1884. Rice died in the Arctic on 9 April 1884 while awaiting the arrival of a relief vessel.
to Joseph Frederick Rice and Mary Ann (Munn) Rice. After attending primary school in Baddeck and secondary school in North Sydney, Nova Scotia
, he enrolled in Columbia University Law School in New York
but never completed his law degree. He learned the trade of photography from his father who operated a photographic studio in Bridgetown, Nova Scotia
and his two uncles Moses and Amos Rice who were well-regarded photographers with a studio in Washington, D.C.
Rice gained experience as an arctic photographer on the 1880 Howgate Expedition to explore Greenland
.
as the photographer for a planned expedition to the Arctic Ocean
in 1881 after learning of his skill as a photographer in Washington D.C. The expedition to Lady Franklin Bay
on Ellesmere Island
and points north was sponsored by the United States Army Signal Corps
, so Rice, a civilian and only Canadian on the expedition was given the rank of sergeant. The Lady Franklin Bay Expedition left St. John's, Newfoundland on 7 July 1881 with a crew of 22 aboard the Proteus, a steam whaler. After picking up 2 Inuit dog sled drivers in Godhavn Greenland, base camp for the expedition was established as Fort Conger
on the northern shore of Lady Franklin Bay
during late summer 1881. The Proteus returned to home port while the expedition over-wintered, explored, and mapped the region. A relief expedition was expected in the summer of 1882 but the planned relief attempt aboard the steamer Neptune failed. Another relief effort was attempted in the summer of 1883 by the Proteus, but after the Proteus was sunk by ice floes, the expedition remained stranded. In mid-summer 1883, Greely ordered the abandonment of Fort Conger, and on 9 August 1883 the expedition packed only essential provisions into small boats in an attempt to evacuate to Littleton Island
along the Greenland coast of Baffin Bay
where sea rescue was more likely. They fell short of Littleton Island, only reaching Pim Island
in Smith Sound
before onset of winter, and their food supplies became depleted. Rice died on 9 April 1884 near Cape Sabine
while hunting seal, polar bear and other arctic animals as food for the remaining survivors. The relief expedition aboard the steam vessels Bear
, Thetis, Alert
, and Loch Garry reached Greely and six other survivors at Pim Island on 22 June 1884. Efforts by Rice were credited by Greely for saving the lives of the few who did survive the ordeal.
, an early English immigrant to Massachusetts Bay Colony
, as follows:
Lady Franklin Bay Expedition
The 1881-1884 Lady Franklin Bay Expedition into the Canadian Arctic was led by Lt. Adolphus Greely and was promoted by the United States Army Signal Corps. Its purpose was threefold: to establish a meteorological-observation station as part of the First International Polar Year, to collect...
of 1881 to 1884. Rice died in the Arctic on 9 April 1884 while awaiting the arrival of a relief vessel.
Early life and education
George W. Rice was born on 29 June 1855, in Baddeck, Nova ScotiaBaddeck, Nova Scotia
Baddeck is a Canadian village in Victoria County, Nova Scotia.It is the county's shire town and is situated on the northern shore of Bras d'Or Lake on Cape Breton Island...
to Joseph Frederick Rice and Mary Ann (Munn) Rice. After attending primary school in Baddeck and secondary school in North Sydney, Nova Scotia
North Sydney, Nova Scotia
North Sydney is a community in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality.Located on the north side of Sydney Harbour, along the eastern coast of Cape Breton Island, North Sydney is an important port in Atlantic Canada as it is the western terminus of the Marine Atlantic ferry service...
, he enrolled in Columbia University Law School in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
but never completed his law degree. He learned the trade of photography from his father who operated a photographic studio in Bridgetown, Nova Scotia
Bridgetown, Nova Scotia
Bridgetown is a Canadian town in Annapolis County, Nova Scotia.Situated on the Annapolis River at the head of the tide, the area saw Mi'kmaq settlements in the area, followed by Acadian settlers from Port-Royal and then British-sponsored settlements by the late 18th century.There were at least ten...
and his two uncles Moses and Amos Rice who were well-regarded photographers with a studio in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Rice gained experience as an arctic photographer on the 1880 Howgate Expedition to explore Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
.
Lady Franklin Bay Expedition 1881–1884
George Rice was selected by expedition leader Adolphus GreelyAdolphus Greely
Adolphus Washington Greely , was an American Polar explorer, a United States Army officer and a recipient of the Medal of Honor.-Early military career:...
as the photographer for a planned expedition to the Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
in 1881 after learning of his skill as a photographer in Washington D.C. The expedition to Lady Franklin Bay
Lady Franklin Bay Expedition
The 1881-1884 Lady Franklin Bay Expedition into the Canadian Arctic was led by Lt. Adolphus Greely and was promoted by the United States Army Signal Corps. Its purpose was threefold: to establish a meteorological-observation station as part of the First International Polar Year, to collect...
on Ellesmere Island
Ellesmere Island
Ellesmere Island is part of the Qikiqtaaluk Region of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. Lying within the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, it is considered part of the Queen Elizabeth Islands, with Cape Columbia being the most northerly point of land in Canada...
and points north was sponsored by the United States Army Signal Corps
United States Army Signal Corps
The United States Army Signal Corps develops, tests, provides, and manages communications and information systems support for the command and control of combined arms forces. It was established in 1860, the brainchild of United States Army Major Albert J. Myer, and has had an important role from...
, so Rice, a civilian and only Canadian on the expedition was given the rank of sergeant. The Lady Franklin Bay Expedition left St. John's, Newfoundland on 7 July 1881 with a crew of 22 aboard the Proteus, a steam whaler. After picking up 2 Inuit dog sled drivers in Godhavn Greenland, base camp for the expedition was established as Fort Conger
Fort Conger
Fort Conger is a former settlement, military fortification, and scientific research post in Qikiqtaaluk, Nunavut, Canada. It was established in 1881 as an Arctic exploration camp, notable as the site of the first major northern polar region scientific expedition, part of the US government's...
on the northern shore of Lady Franklin Bay
Lady Franklin Bay
Lady Franklin Bay is an Arctic waterway in Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. The bay is located in Nares Strait and is an inlet into the northeastern shore of Ellesmere Island....
during late summer 1881. The Proteus returned to home port while the expedition over-wintered, explored, and mapped the region. A relief expedition was expected in the summer of 1882 but the planned relief attempt aboard the steamer Neptune failed. Another relief effort was attempted in the summer of 1883 by the Proteus, but after the Proteus was sunk by ice floes, the expedition remained stranded. In mid-summer 1883, Greely ordered the abandonment of Fort Conger, and on 9 August 1883 the expedition packed only essential provisions into small boats in an attempt to evacuate to Littleton Island
Littleton Island (Arctic)
Littleton Island is an island approximately from Greenland’s coast right in Smith Sound. It is about south of the island today called Hans Island. Around it and the coast of Greenland lay dozens of tiny Islands, and Kane names one of them Hans Island after Hans Hendrik, the native Greenlandic...
along the Greenland coast of Baffin Bay
Baffin Bay
Baffin Bay , located between Baffin Island and the southwest coast of Greenland, is a marginal sea of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is connected to the Atlantic via Davis Strait and the Labrador Sea...
where sea rescue was more likely. They fell short of Littleton Island, only reaching Pim Island
Pim Island
right|thumb|200px|Plaque on Pim Island to the memory of dead men from the expedition of [[Adolphus Greely]]. Photograped in 2005Pim Island is located off the eastern coast of Ellesmere Island, part of the Qikiqtaaluk Region of the Canadian territory of Nunavut...
in Smith Sound
Smith Sound
Smith Sound is an uninhabited Arctic sea passage between Greenland and Canada's northernmost island, Ellesmere Island. It links Baffin Bay with Kane Basin and forms part of the Nares Strait....
before onset of winter, and their food supplies became depleted. Rice died on 9 April 1884 near Cape Sabine
Cape Sabine
right|thumb|300px|Pim Island to the memory of dead men from the expedition of [[Adolphus Greely]]. Photographed in 2005Cape Sabine is a land point on Pim Island, in Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada.-History:...
while hunting seal, polar bear and other arctic animals as food for the remaining survivors. The relief expedition aboard the steam vessels Bear
Bear (ship)
The Bear was a dual steam-powered and sailing ship built with six inch thick sides which had a long life in various cold-water and ice-filled environs. She was a forerunner of modern icebreakers and had an exceptionally diverse service life...
, Thetis, Alert
HMS Alert (1856)
HMS Alert was a 17-gun wooden screw sloop of the Cruizer class of the Royal Navy, launched in 1856 and broken up in 1894. She was the eleventh ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name , and was noted for her Arctic exploration work; in 1876 she reached a record latitude of 82°N.-Construction:The...
, and Loch Garry reached Greely and six other survivors at Pim Island on 22 June 1884. Efforts by Rice were credited by Greely for saving the lives of the few who did survive the ordeal.
Genealogy
Rice was a direct descendant of Edmund RiceEdmund Rice (1638)
Edmund Rice , was an early immigrant to Massachusetts Bay Colony who was born in Suffolk, England, and lived in Stanstead, Suffolk and Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire prior to sailing with his family to America. He arrived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in summer or fall of 1638, presumed to be first...
, an early English immigrant to Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
, as follows:
- George Walter Rice, son of
- Joseph Frederick Rice (1831 – ?), son of
- Robert Muckford Rice (1805 – 1892), son of
-
-
- Beriah Rice, Jr (1747 – 1818), son of
- Beriah Rice (1702 – 1764), son of
-
- Thomas Rice (1654 – 1747), son of
- Thomas Rice (1626 – 1681), son of
-
- Edmund RiceEdmund Rice (1638)Edmund Rice , was an early immigrant to Massachusetts Bay Colony who was born in Suffolk, England, and lived in Stanstead, Suffolk and Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire prior to sailing with his family to America. He arrived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in summer or fall of 1638, presumed to be first...
(1594 – 1663)
- Edmund Rice
-