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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

As are the similarities to Caspar David Friedrich’s “Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog” in which the figure can be interpreted as contemplating the awe and terror of nature’s sublime

A picture of the painting titled “Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog” depicting a man standing on a mountaintop facing away from the viewer and gazing over a foggy, wild landscape

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Good advice for journalists covering the story too 👇

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Check out my article in @smithsonianmag.bsky.social for an art world detective story inspired by the #Arctic! Featuring commentary by Victoria Johnson, author of the fantastic new biography "Glorious Country: How the Artist Frederic Church Brought the World to America and America to the World" ...

bookshop.org

Glorious Country: How the Artist Frederic Church Brought the World to America and America to the World

From the author of American Eden—finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and more—comes a sweeping, richly researched biography of Frederic Church, the great 19th-century American ar...

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

And Sir Leopold McClintock, whose expedition located the sole written document describing Franklin's fate and the demise of the his men. None actually bought "The Icebergs," though. A railroad magnate and MP did, and sent it to his villa outside Manchester. After that, it seemed to disappear ...

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Sir Edward Belcher, a searcher who didn't find Franklin AND infamously abandoned a whole bunch of seaworthy ships in the Northwest Passage, one of which was later turned into the U.S. president's Resolute Desk ...

A color photo of Barack Obama talking on the phone at the Resolute Desk, an oak desk with ornate patriotic carvings, in the Oval Office.

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Other famed Arctic hands at the premiere included Sir George Back, who had saved Franklin's life on the disastrous Coppermine Expedition (but whom Franklin didn't particularly like); Sir Richard Collinson, who led a search for Franklin but spent most of his time arguing with his co-searchers ...

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Perhaps because of that, all of Britain's famous #Arctic personages attended the opening—including the explorer's widow Lady Jane Franklin AND John Rae, who had reported that her husband's starving crew has resorted to "the last dread alternative"—cannibalism! If those gallery walls could talk ...

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Church created "The Icebergs" soon after the world learned of Franklin's fate, and the tragedy was still in people's minds. Church initially painted "The Icebergs" without the broken ship's mast in the foreground but added it for the painting's London debut (likely) as a memorial to Franklin ...

A detail of Frederic Edwin Church's painting "The Icebergs" showing the broken ship's mast and crow's nest in the foreground of the scene.

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

"The Icebergs" was also a product of Church's fascination with #ArcticExploration and especially the lost #FranklinExpedition. He owned Elisha Kent Kane's books describing his search for Franklin and was friends with Isaac Israel Hayes, the surgeon on Kane's voyage (that's Kane, below) ...

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

"The Icebergs" (1861) was inspired by Church's expedition to Newfoundland, where hired a rowboat to get up close and personal with actual icebergs (even though he was seasick). He made over 100 sketches, like this one in the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt's collection ...

A colorful oil sketch by Frederic Edwin Church showing a blue-ish iceberg against a red-orange sky and a gray sea

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Frederic Edwin Church was one of the most famous American artists in the 19th century. He showed off his huge landscape paintings in theatrical frames, complete with curtains. Each gallery show was a media event. So how did "The Icebergs" go missing?

smithsonianmag.com

'The Icebergs' Is One of Frederic Edwin Church's Most Spectacular Paintings. For Decades, No One Knew Where It Was

In the 1970s, the administrator of a boys' home in England wound up finding the missing 19th-century piece and bringing it back into the spotlight

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

I love the MLB Postseason but if I have to listen to Bob Costas’ Old-Timey Sports Poetry™️ for the next month I’m not going to be responsible for my actions

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

If this list doesn’t include The Terror how credible can it really be

nytimes.com

The 100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

A brief biography of my great-great-great-great uncle and his second career—after his first career as an Arctic explorer 🤩👇

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Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D. @sarahmackattack.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

If you care about keeping the Academy of Natural Sciences open to the public in Philadelphia, I need you to read and share this thread. Trish Wellenbach was sent from the mayor's office to oversee the Academy of Natural sciences situation. She needs to hear from us. Here comes the action item:

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Interesting #Whitby-related thread about my great-great-great-great-great-grandfather!

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Excellent news ! 🧊❄️

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Philip Hoare @philiphoare.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

'Icebergs and Aurora Borealis in the Arctic Regions' watercolour by Charles Hamilton Smith c.1840s Yale Center for British Art

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Reposted by Kat Long

Eddie Jenkins 🦤 @eddiejenks510.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

I've written an article on the history and future Whitby's soon-to-be-removed whale bone arch! And before you ask, yes I managed to mention William Scoresby Junior (rude not to) whitbymuseum.org.uk/whitbys-whal... #whaling #polarexploration #animals #history #Nature #Arctic

A modern Whalebone arch, standing on Whitby's West Cliff

A whalebone arch standing in Pannett Park Whitby. The arch and surrounding park is covered in snow

An illustration of a whale flipping a small boat

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Thank you for your service 🐋

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Reposted by Kat Long

William Colgan @glacierbytes.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Calling themselves ‘Greenland Energy’ is simply Greenland-washing old fashioned Texas-based oil-and-gas exploration. Greenland — and the world — deserves better than US neo-imperialism. A ‘frontier mentality’ for resource extraction challenges our rule of law.

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Recently, I read about a rescue of 30 beluga #whales from a closed marine park in Canada and their transfer to new U.S. facilities. That got me thinking — when and how did the #Arctic whales become so popular in aquariums? I dove into the #history in this issue of my newsletter, Arctic Archives 👇

katlong.substack.com

Barnum’s Belugas: How Arctic Whales Ended Up on Broadway

The white whales brought a piece of the Arctic to American aquariums in the 19th century—thanks in part to P.T. Barnum. Plus: Polar Intelligence.

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

The flag says “Mardelva” but there are more potential options Marvadel Vamardel Vadelmar Delvamar

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Featuring research by Lise Loktu at the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU) plus insight from @dagomardegroot.bsky.social at Georgetown University and George Hambrecht at University of Maryland-College Park!

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

New from me: Climate change is eating away at Svalbard's largest whalers' graveyard, threatening bones and textiles preserved in the 17th-century burials as well as the scientific data embedded in them 🧪⚱️❄️

nationalgeographic.com

Thawing permafrost is threatening Svalbard's 'corpse point'

Human bones and artifacts from the largest whalers’ graveyard in the archipelago are at risk of disintegrating.

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Congratulations! Looking forward to reading it!

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Dr. Michelle I. Turner @chaco-arch.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

The regulations that give teeth to the National Historic Preservation Act are about to get wiped out. "Section 106" is what requires pipelines and roads to get checked for impact on archaeology. It's also the basis for federal consultation with Tribes on projects. And it's getting DOGEd this week.

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Dr. Bronner’s, the Penzey’s of soap

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max koss 🦩 @maxkoss.com · 06/07/2026

The nice things about books: once you own them, you own them, forever. No one will be eye tracking your reading habits. No one will make money of you reading the book as many times as you'd like. And the very same book can be read by generations to come. It can last centuries, literally. It's great.

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Between the recent heatwave and my post-surgery convalescence, I've been spending a lot of time indoors lately. Here are the #Arctic and non-Arctic books, podcasts and more that have had me dreaming of cooler climes. ❄️ (Also, subscribe for free to my monthly newsletter, Arctic Archives! 👇)

open.substack.com

Armchair Adventurer; or, The Recluse in the Recliner

Arctic and other books, shows and more that kept me entertained during my recent convalescence. Plus: new Polar Intelligence.

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Echoes of Nansen’s Fram expedition!

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

I think this is my best finish yet—thank you, "Medallion with the Virgin from an Icon Frame," for those 10,000 points Anthropeum.com · Jun 23 2026 🟨🟩🟦🟦🟩🟦🟨🟩🟩🟩 75,716 · top 8% of players today!

anthropeum.com

Anthropeum

A daily game that challenges our understanding of human cultures. Ten objects. 5,000 years of human history. Guess where and when each artifact was made. See how you rank.

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

You are, of course, aware of the world’s oldest (pet) ham, owned by Virginia ham mogul P.D. Gwaltney, who “fashioned a brass collar for the ham and took it to shows and expositions to exhibit the preservative powers of his smoking method” www.historicisleofwight.com

historicisleofwight.com

Isle of Wight County Museum Smithfield, Virginia USA

Founded in 1976, the Isle of Wight County Museum tells the story of the county through its interactive exhibits including a turn-of-the-century country store as well as displays interpreting...

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

My first car was my parents’ old 1982 Subaru GL! Just like this one except baby blue. Can confirm it was rad

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

Will be interested in hearing which you choose!

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

From my past research into it, Churchill was always the most expensive due to exorbitantly high flight costs (even from within Canada). Haven’t flown into Nuuk from the US (yet!) but Greenland hiking is probably pretty reasonably priced in comparison. The trick is timing it, weather-wise

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

Svalbard for sure—from the US you fly to Oslo and then Longyearbyen (iirc), plenty of polar bears and magnificent glaciers. Expensive but not HORRIBLY expensive, couple of cheaper lodging spots available plus a ton of adventure outfitters at various price points

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

This was SO tricky! I was in the top 41% despite being a frequent Met visitor 😅

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Kat Long @katlong.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Hey, do you live in Maryland, aka the best state in the union 🦀? @thebaltimorebanner.com and @bannermoco.bsky.social put together an amazingly thorough, easy-to-understand voters’ guide that just helped me fill out the most informed primary ballot of my life. Get your questions answered!👇

thebanner.com

Voter Guide 2026

Voters in Maryland will decide the state’s next governor and vote in congressional races as well as in local and state races, including contests for county executive, county councils, the General Asse...

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