Seal Hunter Pöllänen and His Catch
In this 1909 photograph, a man named Pöllänen stands beside his boat with a rifle in hand and his seal catch laid out on the rocks. The photo was taken in coastal Finland, where seal hunting was once a common part of life in many fishing communities.
The seal carcasses on the shoreline, paired with the hunting rifle and traditional boat, tell a story of livelihood practices from over a century ago—methods that were both seasonal and deeply rooted in the surrounding environment. While today such images may stir complex reactions, they also offer a historical lens on subsistence and survival.
Original Photograph
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Digitally Restored Photograph
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Photo Information
Original photo courtesy of the Finnish Heritage Agency
Photographer: V. Jääskeläinen
Year: 1909
Link to original photo here
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