Cache of baleen, man (trader?) standing. Probably autumn, because the water is shallow, and there is no ice. In the spring, the whale would be pulled up by its tail, and in the fall it would be pulled up by its head.
Note on verso in Russian written by Tikhon Vinokouroff Oct. 12, 1920: On
Kumakh- Surt
120 v[ersts] from Buluna (Siberia)
All [illeg.] "without ceremony"
-- without changing clothes
Sept. 15, 1926
Full note reads: "1948 10 Bobby Jo Crabaugh - Nancy Crabaugh with our dog, Kobuk on the school grounds @ Shungnak, Alaska. With the Brooks Range in the background."
Full note reads: "1948 11 Eskimo Grade school girls with Brooks Range in background @ Shungnak, AK. This was taken on the playground on the north side and the Kobuk River is on the right side of the picture."