Archives West Finding Aid
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Adams Family photograph collection, circa 1889-1931
Overview of the Collection
- Collector
- Adams (Family : Adams, Gilbert Alison, 1862-1932)
- Title
- Adams Family photograph collection
- Dates
- circa 1889-1931 (inclusive)19001931
1900-1906 (bulk) - Quantity
-
35 photographic prints (1 box) ; sizes vary
3 pieces of ephemera - Collection Number
- PH0919
- Summary
- Photographs of daily life, business activities, hunting, and methods of transportation employed by settlers and Native tribes around Nome and Council City, Alaska in the early part of the 20th century
- 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 entire collection can be viewed on the Libraries' Digital Collections website. Permission of Visual Materials Curator is required to view the originals. Contact Special Collections for additional information.
- Additional Reference Guides
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Gilbert Alison Adams (1862-1932) was an attorney in Council City, Alaska. He served as president of the Townsite Organization, and worked as the clerk of the District Court in Nome and as a U.S. commissioner in Council. He may also have been the proprietor of Kane House, a hotel in Council, in the early 1900s. He married Elizabeth "Lizzie" Dickenson (1866-1947) in 1906, and they had two daughters, Lucile D. (1907- 1982) and Alison M. (1908-1958). Lizzie was born in Yolo County, California in 1866 and moved with her father to Nome, Alaska in 1899. In 1918, the family left Alaska and moved to Tacoma, where Gilbert died in 1932 and Lizzie remained until 1943, when she moved to Seattle to live with Lucile. Alison moved to Los Angeles and married a man named Owen.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Photographs of daily life, business activities, hunting, and methods of transportation employed by settlers and native people in and around Nome and Council City, Alaska. There are also photographs of the Adams family and Iñupiat people in Council City and Nome. The collection includes photographs by B.B. Dobbs and Susan Bernardi.
Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top
Several of the photos are by Susan Bernardi, who was a schoolteacher at the U.S. Government School in Kingegan, Cape Prince of Wales in the early 1900s. (See her album Photographs of Iñupiats at Kingegan, Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska Album PH Coll. No. 49). There is no indication of the Adams family's relationship to Bernardi, if any existed.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Alternative Forms Available
View the digital version of the collection
Restrictions on Use
Restrictions might exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact the repository for details.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Acquisition Information
Source: Curtright & Son Tribal Art; May 4, 2005.
Processing Note
Processed by Claire Imamura, 2011; Melody Hauf, 2012, processing completed 2012.
Collection accessioned as PH 2005-026.
Title of some images revised to align with harmful language guidelines. Revison completed by S. Fitch, April 2024
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Adams FamilyReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box/Folder | item | ||
1/1 | 1 |
Studio portrait of Elizabeth
Adams I.G. Davidson, Tacoma, Washington Territory (photographer)
|
circa 1889 |
1/1 | 2 |
Postcard of large two-story house
probably Adams family home in Tacoma, Washington Written on verso: Aug. 5, '07. On the other side of this card is
the shack where we live. It is on the corner, N.E. corner of E. 15 & Alder
Sts. where you will always find the latch string out. H.B.A.
|
1907 |
1/1 | 3 |
Postcard of two girls, Lucile and
Alison surrounded by dolls and toys Council City, Alaska Written on verso: Elizabeth's photo, Council, Al. Christmas
1910. Lucile & Alison, NAT Residence. (NAT probably stands for N.A.T. &
T. Company). This may have been a company house.
|
Christmas 1910 |
1/1 | 4 |
Postcard of toys and Christmas tree,
Council City, Alaska. Written on verso: Elizabeth's photo, Xmas 1912 13, Council
Alaska. Lucile & Alison, Christmas tree.
|
circa 1912 |
1/1 | 5 |
Studio portrait of Alison Photographer: Harding Studio, Tacoma, WaWritten on photo: To My Darling Mama with love and gratitude,
Alison. December 12, 1928.
|
December 1928 |
1/1 | 6 |
Probably Alison standing in front of a
poster of Josef Lhevinne Written on verso: Elizabeth D. Adams Fall 1930-31.
|
Fall 1930 |
Daily Life in Nome and Council City AlaskaReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box/Folder | item | ||
1/2 | 7 | undated | |
1/2 | 8 |
Two men in front of W.G. Schaefer
Groceries The photograph is printed backwards.
|
undated |
1/2 | 9 |
Group of eight people in front of
Cottage Roadhouse with sled and dog team Sign above the door says: Cottage Roadhouse, Mrs. Ginivin,
Prop.
|
undated |
1/2 | 10a-b |
Horse-drawn carriage with five
passengers in front of Kane House, Council City, Alaska Written on verso of 10b: J.Y. McCurres Stage leaving Council for
Nome, Al. Lucile's Photo.
|
undated |
1/2 | 11 |
Five men (including three Iñupiat men)
and a dog standing in front of a decorated tent Nome, Alaska Printed on photo: S&H Nome, 865.
|
1900 |
1/2 | 12 |
Young girl, Anita Allen, sitting at a
desk looking at a globe Nome, Alaska Written on verso: Anita Allan, Nome, Alaska. Granddaughter of
C.D. Lane, 1905.
|
1905 |
1/2 | 13 |
Postcard of Ralph Tapia and Scotty
Allan, with large ice sled on Bering Sea, Nome, Alaska Written on verso: Elizabeth's Photo, Nome Alaska. GAA Ralph
Tapia, and Scotty Allan's ice sled on Bering Sea, Winter 1917.Scotty Allan was a famous dog musher and the owner of beloved
sled dog, Baldy. He also served as a representative to the Alaska Territorial
Legislature in 1917 and 1919.
|
1917 |
1/2 | 14 |
Postcard of Ralph Tapia, and Scotty
Allan with two children in front of an ice sled, probably Nome,
Alaska Written on photo: Scotty Allen's motor sled.
|
1917 |
1/2 | 15 |
Postcard of six boys lined up for a
sack race on street, Nome, Alaska Written on verso: Just a line to let you know that we are both
O.K. I found your dad in fine shape, I was up & had quite a talk with him.
Joe Council [City, Alaska]. Addressed to: Miss Alison Adams, 5121 N. 48th,
Tacoma, Wash.
|
1922 |
1/2 | 16 |
Postcard of a drawing of puppy and
bucket with the caption PIONEERS Printed on drawing: Lomen Bros.
|
undated |
Iñupiat PeopleReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box/Folder | item | ||
1/3 | 17 | undated | |
1/3 | 18 |
Two seated Iñupiat women in fur
parkas Hammond (photographer)
|
undated |
1/3 | 19 | undated | |
1/3 | 20 | 1900 | |
1/3 | 21 |
Studio portrait of Iñupiat ivory
carver Angokwazhuk (Happy Jack) wearing fur parka, Alaska Probably B.B. Dobbs, Nome, Alaska (photographer)
Angokwazhuk (Angohwazhuk, Happy Jack) (about 1870-1918) was born
about 1870 in the village of Ayasayuk, Cape Nome to Anyayak (mother) and
Anatawanuk (father). Angokwazhuk is known as one of the most accomplished ivory
carvers working in Nome in the early 1900s. He died in the 1918 pandemic.
Reference: Dorothy Jean Ray, “Happy Jack and Guy Kakarook: Their Art and Their
Heritage,” pp. 19-33, Suzi Jones (editor), Eskimo Drawings, Anchorage:
Anchorage Museum of Art and History, 2003. Submitted by Deborah Tear Haynes,
3/2022
|
between 1900 and 1906 |
1/3 | 22 |
Studio portrait of Iñupiat woman with
chin tattoo B.B. Dobbs, Nome, Alaska (Dobbs 186) (photographer)
|
1903 |
1/4 | 23 |
Iñupiat children and woman holding a
baby seated on the ground while a man cuts a boy's hair Written on photo: The Barber. Written on verso: Kirkuk
natives.
|
circa 1903 |
1/4 | 24 | circa 1903 | |
1/4 | 25 | circa 1903 | |
1/4 | 26 | undated | |
1/4 | 27 | 1903 | |
1/4 | 28 |
Human skulls and bones arranged on
logs Written on verso: Eska [sic] Graves Alaska.
|
circa 1903 |
1/4 | 29 |
Postcard photo of five Iñupiat people
fishing from the beach with nets Written on verso: Eskamoes [sic] fishing. Mrs. Gbb [sic]
Photo.
|
undated |
1/4 | 30 | undated |
Photographs from Kinegan, Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska by Susan R. BernardiReturn to Top
These photos are images that also appear in the Photos of Eskimo at Kingegan, Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska, Photograph Album(PH Coll 49). These photos were made by the photographer Susan R. Bernardi. Bernardi was a U.S. Government schoolteacher in Cape Prince of Wales beginning in 1901. The photos in the album in PH Coll 49 include captions that provide more information about these photos.
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box/Folder | item | ||
1/5 | 31 |
Boat and sled cache above the
snow Bernardi's caption for this photo which appears on page 11 of
her albumPhotos of Eskimo at Kingegan, Cape Prince of
Wales, Alaska, Photograph Album: House Snowed Under.Bernardi's caption for a similar photo on page 7: All sleds and
boat frames are cached to keep the wolf dogs from chewing the seal thong with
which it is bound.
|
circa 1906 |
1/5 | 32 |
Iñupiat hunter with seal standing on
ice Bernardi's caption for this photo which appears on page 17 of
her albumPhotos of Eskimo at Kingegan, Cape Prince of
Wales, Alaska, Photograph Album: A Hair Seal Plentiful all the year in
Bering Straits. As many as 75 are caught in 1 day. The small boys and men's
hunting trousers are made of the skin with hair on. Without the hair waterproof
boots and suits are made.
|
circa 1906 |
1/5 | 33 |
Iñupiat people standing around a
boat Bernardi's caption for this photo which appears on page 25 of
her albumPhotos of Eskimo at Kingegan, Cape Prince of
Wales, Alaska, Photograph Album: The Woman Has Sprinkled Ashes, Made
from Shavings of new Paddles, along the path to keep Devils from Hoodooing the
hunting.
|
circa 1906 |
1/5 | 34 |
People with whale carcass on the
beach Bernardi's caption for this photo which appears on page 30 of
her albumPhotos of Eskimo at Kingegan, Cape Prince of
Wales, Alaska, Photograph Album: A Pup Whale 30 ft long.Bernardi's caption for a similar photo on page 28: Four Men
Put on Waterproof 1 piece Suits, get into a hole, cut in the whale's stomach
and then proceed to carve throwing the meat on to ice where the woman haul it
on dog sleds to the village.
|
circa 1906 |
1/5 | 35 |
Postcard of Iñupiat boy wearing fur
parka Bernardi's caption for this photo which appears on page 65 of
her albumPhotos of Eskimo at Kingegan, Cape Prince of
Wales, Alaska, Photograph Album: Rags.
|
circa 1904 |
EphemeraReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box/Folder | item | ||
1/6 | 36a |
Rope Piece of knotted rope which broke on the 1901 voyage of the
schoonerRalph J. Longon its trip from Nome to
Seattle.
|
1901 |
1/6 | 36b |
Note that was attached to rope Written on card: A clove knot tied by 2[nd] mate B [illeg] of
the 2 mast 90 ton Schooner Ralph J. Long out from Nome, Alaska, Oct. 23, 1901.
Arrived in Seattle Dec. 9, 1901. A part of rope which held boom and broke one
night--5 minutes after Mrs. B and I left deck. We were sitting under boom.Written on verso: Lizzie B. Dickenson.
|
1901 |
1/6 | 37 | Mrs. Gilbert Alison Adams calling card |
undated |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Eskimos--Alaska--Nome--Photographs
- Eskimos--Alaska--Social life and customs--Photographs
- Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)
Personal Names
- Adams, Alison
- Adams, Elizabeth (Lizzie)
- Adams, Gilbert Alison, 1862-1932
- Adams, Lucile
Geographical Names
- Council (Alaska)--Photographs
- Council (Alaska)--Social life and customs--Photographs
- Nome (Alaska)--Photographs
- Prince of Wales, Cape (Alaska)--Photographs
- Tacoma (Wash.)--Photographs
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Bernardi, Susan R (photographer)