Preserving the Arctic Frame by Frame: An Interview with Jens Jørgen Hyldgaard
Amateur Photographer Jens Jørgen Hyldgaard with his wife of 19 years, Beate Emanuelsen.
Jens Jørgen Hyldgaard, born on February 16, 1932, near Thisted in northwest Jutland, Denmark, is a hidden gem in the world of Amateur Photography whom we have the honor of sharing and introducing you to today. Beginning his journey as a carpenter and later evolving into an entrepreneur with up to 48 employees at one point, Hyldgaard captured life in Greenland from the 1950s to the 1970s using his beloved Voigtländer and Topcon cameras. He began his photographic journey with a Kodak box camera he bought as a teenager.
Jens shared much of his life with his wife, Beate Emanuelsen, who was born in 1930 and passed away in 2007. They were together for 19 years, raising three children—two daughters and a son. Their son, Finn Samuel Hyldgaard, played a pivotal role in facilitating this interview. Through Finn, whom I met on Facebook, I, David Pride, Founder of Hope for the Arctic, had the privilege of connecting with Jens and diving deep into his experiences and memories.
Finn runs multiple Facebook Pages featuring both his and his father’s Photography, and we encourage you to follow those pages to view more of their beautiful images. You can find the pages here:
The Qaqortoq og omegn, fotoside Facebook Group
Uummannaq og omegn, fotoside Facebook PageInterview
Jens Jørgen Hyldgaard, enjoying retirement life in Denmark.
Q: What changes did you see over the decades through your lens?
A: The new school system (Danish copy) the institutions for kids as nursery and kindergartens, were new in Greenland, which has always been family-oriented. But new job offers demanded it.
Q: Can you share the story behind one of your most meaningful photos?
A: The trip from Qaanaaq to Qeqertaq by dogsled in early June 1964. This wasn't a tourist endeavor but simply the only way from A to B for an inspection job. A stop on the trip where one of the Inuit men shot a seal encapsulating it.
Q: How do you want the world to understand the Arctic and its people through your photographs?
A: No indigenous people can withstand such a big shift and change in their way of life. They have paid a very high price. The only advantage is that it has happened so quickly that the original fishing methods, language, dance, music, songs, and historical traditions have been preserved.
Q: What is your favorite memory from life in Greenland in the early days?
A: My meeting with the children's Greenlandic mother provided me with a fantastic closeness to the Greenlandic family and traditions.
Photo Stories
Narsarsuaq Air Base, 1955 - “Jens's first job in 1955.”
Mathias Storch School, Ilulissat, 1970 - “The building boom in Greenland gave, for instance, new schools. Room to many kids after the control of TB and tuberculosis gave less traffic to the graveyard. Here Artuafik Mathias Storh in Ilulissat., 1970.”
Uummannaq harbor, 1957 - “The months in Uummannaq gave extra photo clicks. The nature is very beautiful. Here a silent morning in 1957 on my way to my job at the harbor area.”
Qeqertat east of Qaanaaq 1963 - “One favorite picture is from the trip to Qeqertat east of Qaanaaq. Inspection of state buildings for repair and different improvements. One of the dog sled leads was Usaqaq Henson, a grandchild of Matthew Alexander Henson, a well-known name in the polar expeditions. It's the guy in polar bear trousers.”
Jens Jørgen Hyldgaard’s photographs paint a vivid picture of Greenland's changing cultural and physical landscape. Through his lens, we gain a deeper understanding of the beauty, challenges, and resilience of Arctic life. The legacy he leaves behind—both in his images and his family—serves as a poignant testament to the intertwined stories of personal journeys and a land in flux.
