Biography of 'HUTCHISON, Isobel Wylie '

Film-maker, author and poet

Born in 1880, at the dawn of moving pictures, Hutchison became a respected film-maker. The daughter of Thomas Hutchison and Jeanie Wylie, she lived a quiet, sheltered life until her mid-thirties when her life as a traveller, film-maker, poet and novelist began.

She travelled to the Arctic, filming the things she saw around her, the landscape and the wildflowers growing there and the daily lives of the indigenous people. Other travellers of the time who wrote of their discoveries did not dwell on the domestic detail that makes Hutchison’s work unique. Her first exploration was to East Greenland in 1927, followed in 1928 by a year in Umanak, North Greenland. She filmed eskimos collecting ice for water and hunting seals from a kayak, the wild flowers of Umanak and the Governor’s coffee party! Scottish whalers had taught reels and other dances to the locals, Hutchison filmed them a century later still dancing with enthusiasm.

In 1934 she set out for Alaska, travelling by coastal steamer from Vancouver to Skagway and then overland to Nome. Here she found a very small freighter to take her along the north coast of Alaska, ending with 120 miles by dog sledge and returning on mail plane to Alberta. Hutchison brought back samples of the plant life for the Royal Horticultural Society and the Natural History Museum. She had a long connection with the Royal Scottish Geographical Society as Honorary Editor of the magazine and as a fellow and Vice President.

She was awarded the Mungo Park Medal as a tribute to her explorations and in recognition of her original and valuable researches in Iceland, Greenland and Arctic Alaska. She wrote several travel books including ‘North to the Rime-Ringed Sun’ and ‘Stepping Stones from Alaska to Asia’ and four volumes of poetry.

In later life she gave frequent lectures, using films and lantern slides, describing her travels for film-making and writing articles for National Geographic‘ magazine. She died in 1982. She held the distinctions LLD and FRSGS.

Researcher: Anne Wade

Films associated with 'COCOZZA, Enrico'

11 hits

Asc Desc
	1929 COPENHAGEN; GREENLAND [5353] Add to my films Some Copenhagen street scenes followed by various unidentified rural scenes.	Onsite only	1929 silent bw
	COPENHAGEN DOCK / ANGMAGSALIK, GREENLAND [5359] Add to my films General footage from botanist Isobel Hutchison's field trip to Angmagsalik, Greenland. The majority of the film shows varied activities of the people living there, playing and travelling with dogs by sled, kayak, going to church and possibly a visit to a sacred site.		1927 silent bw
	CRUISE OF U.S.S. "CHELAN" [3013] Add to my films On board the US naval vessel "Chelan" as it stops at Attu Island, Alaska and the crew carries out lifeboat drill. Isobel Hutchison has her photograph taken with the crew.	Onsite only	1939 silent bwcol
	EXCAVATIONS BY DR. HRDLICKA. DUTCH HARBOUR. [3015] Add to my films Dr. Ales Hrdlicka at work on excavations at the old village site, Dutch Harbour in the Aleutian Islands.	Onsite only	1935 silent bwcol
	FLOWERS AND COFFEE PARTY AT UMANAK [3011] Add to my films Wild flowers at Umanak, Greenland and the Governor of Greenland gives a coffee party.	Onsite only	1935 silent bw
	FUR, SEALS AND FLOWERS IN PRIBILOF ISLANDS [3014] Add to my films A woman botanist collects wild flowers and local women make baskets on the island of Unalaska.	Onsite only	1935 silent bwcol
	GREAT JAKOBSHAVN ICEBERG BANK, the [3010] Add to my films Inuit in their kayaks hunting for seals and collecting ice for drinking water.	Onsite only	1935 silent bw
	GREENLAND 1927 / 1928 [5364] Add to my films General views of everyday life for Greenland Inuit, showing them kayaking, fishing etc.	Onsite only	1928 silent bw
	KAYAK ROLLING [3012] Add to my films Inuit in Greenland "rolling" their kayaks, Greenlanders in traditional dress dancing "reels" and Confirmation Sunday at Jakobshavn. [Dufay Color]	Onsite only	1935 silent bwcol
	KODIAK ISLAND [3009] Add to my films The wild flowers and landscape of the Aleutian Islands taken from the vessel SS "Starr" on its voyage from Kodiak Island, Alaska. The lighthouse keeper's wife lands at Scotch Cap on Unimak Island.	Onsite only	1935 silent col
	STROLL TO VENICE THROUGH THE DOLOMITES, a [3016] Add to my films The landscape, people, villages and flowers found on the route to Venice through the Dolomites.	Onsite only	1955 silent col