Flaherty, Robert J., 1884-1951
Dates
- Existence: 1884 - 1951
Biography
Robert J. Flaherty was born on February 16, 1884 in Canada where he began his career as a prospector in the Hudson Bay region. He also wrote for the "Geographic Review." In 1909, he shared stories he was told by an Inuk man, named Wetallok. His writing about Wetallok would go on to be published in Flaherty's book, "My Eskimo Friends: Nanook of the North." In 1922, he directed and produced the first commercially successful feature lengh documentary film "Nanook of the North." He went on to direct many more documentary films and is considered a pioneer of the genre. Flaherty died in 1951.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Robert J. Flaherty photogravure prints
The papers of Roberty J. Flaherty contain 21 8.5" x 11" photogravure prints of life in the arctic North shot by Flaherty. Prints were produced by the French fur company Revillon Freres who funded Flaherty's documentary "Nanook of the North".