Expeditions Polaires Francaises

Historical Notation taken from Carre De Paris

Like Hommage a l 'Explorateur Sir Ernest Shackleton, this scarf also features a legendary explorer of the opposing pole, with its vast icy landscapes, and hardworking sled dogs.  While Shackleton was a towering figure of the early 20th-century “Heroic Age” of exploration – a time driven by imperial ambition, sheer endurance, and survival – Paul-Émile Victor was a mid-century pioneer of modern, collaborative polar science and ethnology. Victor, who actually considered Shackleton one of his greatest inspirations, approached the frozen wilderness with a different mission.

Born in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1907, a young Victor studied ethnology at the École Centrale de Lyon. After joining up with explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot in 1936, he led an 825 km expedition across Greenland by dog sled alongside a filmmaker and a team of scientists. During one of his expeditions, Victor spent 14 months living directly with the Inuit peoples of Greenland. This immersive experience forged a deep connection with the indigenous population and solidified his lifelong commitment to preserving their culture. As a meticulous researcher, he brought immense knowledge about daily Inuit life back to France and the rest of the world, alongside invaluable detailed cartography and specimens of Arctic flora and fauna. Victor shared these journeys through numerous journals, articles, and his autobiography. In 1947, he famously founded the Expéditions Polaires Françaises, the organization responsible for managing French scientific missions to both poles, including his famous 1956 expedition to Adélie Land (Terre Adélie) in Antarctica.

Later in life, he sought a quieter routine, moving to Bora Bora in 1977 where he lived until his passing in 1995.