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Unalaska and Aleutian Island photograph album, 1911- circa 1913
Overview of the Collection
- Title
- Unalaska and Aleutian Island photograph album
- Dates
- 1911- circa 1913 (inclusive)19111913
- Quantity
-
132 silver print photographs in album (1 box)
3 negatives (3 folders) ; 4.5 in x 6.75 in
1 photograph (1 folder) - Collection Number
- PH1313
- Summary
- Photographs of scenes in Unalaska, Aleutian Islands, and Bering Sea including images of whaling, canneries, native Alaskan, and volcanos
- Repository
-
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu - Access Restrictions
-
The collection is open to the public.
Album spine has detached from album pages.
- Languages
- English
Historical BackgroundReturn to Top
The island of Unalaska was first inhabited by the Aleut people. Between 1963 and 1766, the first Russian group came to trade. By 1774, a permanent Russian fur trading post was established on Unalaska. On October 18, 1967, the U.S. purchased Alaska. Between 1988 and 1905, the Gold Rush brought many ships through Dutch Harbor. Dutch Harbor is a natural port that protects ships from the waves and currents if the Bering Sea. The harbor is close to some of the richest fishing in the world, and is ice-free.
Between 1865 and 1900, an average of 10 ships annually fished for cod in Alaska. The introduction of the canning process sparked development of Alaska's large salmon fisheries. By the end the 19th century, 42 salmon canneries operated in Alaska. In 1878, Alaska canneries packed 8,000 cases of salmon; in 1900, they packed 1.5 million cases. By 1917, 118 canneries operated in Alaska, That year, they packed more than half of the worlds's supply of salmon, nearly six million cases valued at $46 million. From the beginning, non-residents dominated the salmon fishing and canning industry in Alaska.
In the 1740s to 1780s, the Russian Orthodox religion had been informally introduced by the fur traders. In 1784, the first resident missionaries and clergymen were introduced. This missionary activity would continue into the 19th century, ultimately becoming the most visible trace of the Russian colonial period in contemporary Alaska. The Aleut accepted the Russian Orthodox Church because it offered them support and educated their children.
In June 1912, Alaska experienced the world's largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century at Novarupta. The eruption spread downwind more fallout than all other historical Alaskan eruptions combined. Although, almost all the magma erupted at the Novarupta vent, most of it was stirred beneath Mount Katmai, 10 kilometers away, which collapsed during eruption. Airborne ash from the 3-day event blanketed all of southern Alaska. Humans directly affected by the eruption were located in Katmai village, Douglas village, and Kodiak village. Most of the Douglas and Katmai village inhabitants were at summer fishing camps on Kaflia Bay. The few Katmai villagers left behind fled in fear early on June 6 when the earthquakes worsened. After the eruption, darkness, and suffocating conditions caused by the falling ash and sulfur dioxide gas rendered villagers helpless. Buildings were destroyed as avalanches of ash rushed down from nearby hillsides. Because of the damage done to the villages, a total of 92 survivors of the settlements of Katmai and Douglas were resettled at Ivanof Bay. There were no fatalities.
Whaling was very risky but profitable. Although the price of whale oil dropped by half in the 1870s, the price of baleen rose. Between 1875 and 1900, baleen replaced oil as the most valued product of whale hunting. In 1884, the Pacific Steam Whaling Company of San Francisco established a whaling station at Point Barrow, Alaska. This first shore station in the arctic was so successful that within a few years 15 stations operated along the coast. Stram-powered whaling ships arrived off Alaska's coast about the time that the first shore stations opened, which proved successful. However, soon whaling ships began to disappear but shore whaling continued. The United States Whaling Company operated at Port Armstrong. The company killed 314 whales in 1912, its first season of operation.
An Aleut is a native of the Aleutian Islands and the western portion of the Alaska Peninsula of northwestern North America. Before contact, there was estimate of around 25,000 Aleuts. However, the number of Aleut has dwindled to about 2,000 as they suffered high fatalities in the 19th and early 20th centuries from new diseases and the disruption of their traditional lifestyles. Barbaras were the traditional, main or communal dwellings used by the Alutiiq people of Aleuts. They lay partially underground like an earth lodge or pit-house, and most of the house was excavated from the dirt so as to withstand the high forces of the wind in the Aleutian chain of islands. The roof of a barabara was generally made from sod and grass layered over a frame of wood or whalebone, contained a roof doorway for entry, and has a small hole in the ceiling to allow smoke to escape. Barabaras are no longer used.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Photograph album of scenes in Alaska, mostly in Unalaska, the Aleutian Islands, and the Bering Sea. It includes images of whaling canneries, and cannery ships, Native Alaskans, sailors, wildlife, and volcanoes. Also, shows images of Russian Orthodox Churches in Alaska. Some of the photos show the area just after the 1912 eruption of Katmai.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Alternative Forms Available
View selections from the collection in digital format
Restrictions on Use
Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
AlbumReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Album | item | ||
1 | 1 | Bering Sea sunset over water |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 2 | Isanotski Volcano on Unimak Island |
circa1911- 1913 |
1 | 3 | Shishaldin Volcano on Unimak Island |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 4 | Pavlof Volcano on Unimak Island |
circa 1911- 1913 |
1 | 5 | Makushin Volcano on Unalaska Island |
circa 1911- 1913 |
1 | 6 | Ulakta Head on Unalaska Island |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 7a | Dutch Harbor seen from Mount Ballyhoo, Unalaska Island |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 7b | Houses along curving shore, Iliuliuk Bay, Unalaska Island |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 7c | View of Mount Ballyhoo from water, Unalaska Island |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 8a-b | circa 1911- 1913 | |
1 | 8c-d | View of Dutch Harbor from water, Unalaska Island |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 9a-b | Native cemetery in Unalaska Island |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 9c-d | View of Beaver Inlet, Unalaska Island |
circa1911-1913 |
1 | 10a,c | circa 1911- 1913 | |
1 | 10b | View of Birorka Island by the Gulf of Alaska |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 10d | circa 1911- 1913 | |
1 | 11a-b | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 11c-d | circa 1911- 1913 | |
1 | 12a | Unalaska Harbor |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 12b | View of Beaver Inlet |
circa 1911- 1913 |
1 | 12c | View of Unalaska Bay |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 12d | Shore of Saint Paul Island in the Bering Sea |
circa 1911- 1913 |
1 | 13a | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 13b | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 13c | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 14a |
Bogoslof volcano eruption
On September 18, 1910, the new central peak that been forming since 1909 was in a state of eruption. Immense clouds of vapor, smoke and ashes issued from the peak and enveloped the entire island. Two days later, the peak was still steaming. The eruption opened a true crater in the top of the peak. The photo in the album is dated 1911. There are no reports on Bogoslof for 1911 to 1912.
|
1911 |
1 | 14b | Pavlof Bay near the Alaskan Peninsula |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 14c | Dutch Harbor seen from water |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 14d | View of hills at Ivanof Bay, near Alaskan Peninsula |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 15a | A waterfall, Atka Island
Written on album page: a good trout pool.
|
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 15b-c |
Two children fishing in a trout stream, Atka Island
Written on album page: with twine and pin.
|
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 15d | A stream, Atka Island
Written on album page: trout brook.
|
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 16a | Sea covered with lava from Mount Katmai volcano eruption
Written on album page: 100 miles from Mount Katmai Eruption.
|
June 1912 |
1 | 16b | 1912 | |
1 | 17a |
Village covered with ash from Mount Katmai eruption
Written on album page: after first rain -soft deep mud.
|
1912 |
1 | 17b | Garden covered in volcanic ash from Mount Katmai
Written on album page: a garden without weeds.
|
1912 |
1 | 18a | Farmland covered in volcanic ash from Mount Katmai
Written on album page: no feed for cattle.
|
1912 |
1 | 18b | Vegetation on farm killed due to ash |
1912 |
1 | 19a | 1912 | |
1 | 19b | Natives hauling seine net on shore
One fishing method used by smaller operators was to drag seines which were nets pulled across a salmon run.
|
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 20 |
Group of Natives from Katmai and Douglas
Written on album page: destroyed by Mount Katmai eruption.
|
1912 |
1 | 21 | Group of men pulling in canoes, Ivanof Bay |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 22 | 1912 | |
1 | 23 | Group of men by new houses on Perry Island near Prince William Sound |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 24 | Canneries at Karluk, Kodiak Island |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 25 | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 26 |
Iron Chink machine in cannery
In 1903, Alaska cannery owners began to introduce salmon-butchering machines such as the Iron Chink. The Iron Chink would cut off the head, tail, and fins of a fish; split it down the belly; remove the entrails; and clean the fish. These machines replaced 15 to 30 cannery line workers, and increased the rate of production.
|
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 27a-b | Cannery tender ships on water
Cannery tenders were important since they supported fishing vessels by transporting their catches to canneries, allowing the fisherman to stay at sea longer and keep fishing.
|
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 28 | Cutting apart a whale at the Akutan Whaling Station, Akutan Island |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 29 | circa1911-1913 | |
1 | 30 |
Whale carcass being processed in building
Written on album page: the carcass to be cut up and oil extracted.
|
circa 1911- 1913 |
1 | 31 |
Whale carcass on the dock
Written on album page: Not a Pleasing sight -(or order).
|
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 32 | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 33 | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 34a | Seal, "Old Henry" calling his harem |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 34b-35a | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 35b | Group of seal pups
Written in album page: the pups are kept together.
|
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 36 | Seals overlooking the water on Seal Island
Caption on album page: The seal choose rocky places.
|
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 37 | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 38a-b | Seals on rocky shores of Seals Island |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 39-40a | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 40b | Man standing on cliff with birds |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 41a | Russian Orthodox cross on cliff |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 41b | Group of birds on rocky shores |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 42 | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 43a | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 43b | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 44a | A barbara, Aleutian Islands |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 44b | Russian Orthodox church |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 45a | Two people in front of a barabara |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 45b |
A barabara with a Russian Orthodox Church in distance
Same church from item image 44b.
|
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 45c | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 46a | Man standing by a barabara |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 46b |
Six native children on a crate
Same children in item 45c.
|
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 46c | Standing shelter with netting on roof |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 46d | Two children fishing at Trout Brook
Same children as item 15c-b.
|
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 47a | Two men standing by a barabara |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 47b | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 48 |
Interior of Russian Orthodox Church
The iconostasis is a large screen between the nave and sanctuary covered with icons of principal persons of the faith. The doors in the center are called the Royal Doors; only clerics are allowed to pass through these doors. The doors to the left and right side of the Royal Doors are the deacon doors. These doors serve as exit and entrance to the Sanctuary for the alter servers during service.
|
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 49a-b | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 50a | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 50b | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 51a | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 51b | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 52a | Fishing vessel on water |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 52b | Steam-powered ship coming into harbor |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 53b | View of Alaskan shore |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 54a | Man standing on deck of boat |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 54b | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 55a | Dead fish on deck of fishing vessel |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 55b |
Man holding up dead bird
Same man in item image 54b.
|
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 56a | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 56b | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 57a | Man swinging off side of boat near shore |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 57b | Three sailors with Russian Orthodox priest on a dock
Same priest from item image 43a.
|
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 57c | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 57d | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 58a | Sailors in a pie eating contest |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 58b | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 58c | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 59 | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 60a |
A woman holding a baby and man standing in front of house
Same man and woman in item image 59.
|
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 60b | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 61a | View of sun setting, Alaska |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 61b | View of small waterfall |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 62a | View of large fishing vessel on water |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 62b-c | People canoeing in open water |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 62d |
View of large fishing vessel
Same vessel in item 62a.
|
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 63a-b | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 64a | Two men on deck of boat |
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 64b |
Four men on boat
Same two men in center in item 64a.
|
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 64c |
Two Native American men on deck of boat
Same men in image item 61b.
|
circa 1911-1913 |
1 | 65a | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 65b | circa 1911-1913 | |
1 | 65c | Small boat sailing with American flag |
circa 1911-1913 |
Box/Folder | |||
1/1 | 66 | Man sitting on the side of small boat
Same boat as item image 65c.
Scanned from negative.
|
circa 1911-1913 |
1/1 | 67-68 | New houses on Perry Island near Prince William Sound
Similar item as image 23.
Scanned from negatives.
|
circa 1911-1913 |
1/1 | 69 | Two men in native canoe |
circa 1911-1913 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Volcanic euptions--Alaska--Photographs
- Volcanism--Effect of environment on--Alaska--Photographs
Geographical Names
- Atka Island (Alaska)--Photographs
- Katmai, Mount (Alaska)--Eruption, 1912--Photographs
- Shishaldin Volcano (Alaska)--Photographs
- Unalaska (Alaska)--Photographs
- Unalaska Island (Alaska)--Photographs
Form or Genre Terms
- Photographic prints
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)