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Amos Burg Papers, ca. 1917-1985
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Burg, Amos.
- Title
- Amos Burg Papers
- Dates
- ca. 1917-1985 (inclusive)19171985
- Quantity
- 7 records cartons.
- Collection Number
- Mss 1759 (collection)
- Summary
- Papers of Amos Burg, an Oregon-based writer, explorer, and film maker who later headed the Alaska Department of Fish and Game's education office from 1954 to 1974. The papers date from ca.1917-1985 and contain detailed diaries and travel logs of Burg's many trips throughout the world. Also included are correspondence, articles, lecture notes, film notations for Burg's films, publicity about Burg (including newspaper articles and a radio interview transcript), news articles collected by Burg, or about him, a flag, records of a land purchase, passports, will, résumé, and Carolyn Burg's will.
- Repository
-
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org - Access Restrictions
-
The collection is open to the public.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Amos Burg, Jr. (1901-1986) was a Portland native who traveled the world as a photographer, film maker, writer, and explorer, venturing down the entirety of most of the major rivers of North America. He settled in Juneau, Alaska in his middle age but always maintained close ties to Oregon and his family in the area.
Between the years of 1919-1937 Burg sporadically attended the University of Oregon, Oregon Agricultural College, and eventually attained his degree from Oregon Institute of Technology, 1937. He worked for The National Geographic Society, Encyclopedia Britannica, and ERPI Films, as a photographer, writer, and film maker on assignment and freelance from 1927-1954. In 1954 he established, and then, managed the Education and Information Office of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, until his retirement in 1974. While working for the Department of Fish and Game he scripted and shot many short films on Alaskan subjects for distribution among the schools for educational purposes.
He wrote a large number of articles and columns for newspapers in Juneau, under the name Sourdough Sam. Among other writings he authored a column titled "Campfire reflections" in the magazine Fish tales and game trails published by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. He collected the majority of his writings for The National Geographic into a book that is held by the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Amos Burg papers, c.1917-1985, contain detailed diaries and travel logs of Burg's many trips throughout the world. Also included are: correspondence, articles, lecture notes, film notations for Amos Burg films, publicity about Burg (including newspaper articles and a radio interview transcript), articles by others of interest to Burg, or about him, and a collection of misc. items including his flag, records of a land purchase, passports, will, resume, and Carolyn Burg's will.
The diaries and trip logs, 1917-1983, do a very good job of documenting Burg's travels, plans to travel, and in the earliest diary his desire to begin a life of adventure. His destinations, partners on journeys, detailed listing of possible topics for articles, and a meticulous account of the cost of each adventure can be found in either his diaries or trip logs for almost every year. The earlier records are more detailed and descriptive than later records. Also included are diaries from his two companions, Buzz Holmstrom and Willis Johnson, from their 1938 Grand Canyon river trip with Burg.
Correspondence, c.1920-1977, deals both with Burg's business matters and his solicitation of work as a freelance and contract writer, photographer, and film maker, and his personal correspondence. Particularly insightful are the early correspondence, especially the letters to his parents while on his various trips in his early years. The remaining personal correspondence, while quite large in number focus mainly on the later years of Burg's life and his battle with cancer. The business correspondence includes contracts with ERPI Films over the required quality and Burg's salary for his work and letters from the various organizations he worked with concerning business arrangements. Also included are a few joint letters with Carolyn Burg concerning business matters.
The research notes, articles, lecture notes, and film materials, c.1925-1977, contain many drafts of each endeavor and in most cases a final draft also. There are copious notes for each of Burg's research topics and often references to his trip logs. Most of his articles appear to have been based on the research and logs in the collection. While not as rich in material, the film materials do include several scripts and outlines for films Burg created, many of them under the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Of note are the two folders covering the Navajo Film project which include script, budget, bank records, and a brochure using Burg's photos.
Within the published materials relating to or involving Amos Burg is a scrapbook of newspaper articles compiled by a family member that traces his exploits publically beginning around 1922 and following him through the 1940s. Most of the articles are from the Portland papers but there are a few notable exceptions. Included in this series is also a radio interview transcript from 1936 and two articles about Burg written by friends with the intent to publish them. Most of the rest of the published material is relating to Burg's journeys but without directly mentioning him.
The final part of the collection is a diversified grouping of assorted items of Burg's. Within this group are a copy of his and his wife Carolyn Burg's wills, the records for Burg's boat the "Endeavor", Amos Burg's passports, a eulogy to Buzz Holmstrom, Amos' flag, and a collection of his address books.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
The Oregon Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library prior to any use of reproductions. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use of reproductions may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.
Preferred Citation
Amos Burg papers, Mss 1759, Oregon Historical Society Research Library
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
Series I: Diaries, 1917-1983.
Series II: Trip logs and maps, 1922-1977.
Series III: Correspondence, ca. 1920-1985.
Series IV: Research notes, articles, and lectures by Burg, ca. 1925-1976.
Series V: Materials relating to Burg's films, 1925-1977.
Series VI: Published materials by individuals other than Burg, ca. 1922-1983.
Series VII: Additional materials, ca. 1926-1976.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Mrs. Carolyn Burg, 1986-1995: Accessions 17787 (1986, July 10), 18819 (1988 May 20), 20170 (1989 June 15), 19839 (1990 March 23), 22211 (1995 Feb. 28), and 22726 (1995 June 19).
Processing Note
The collection was received in good condition and in no specific arrangement. Since there was no original order the materials have been arranged alphabetically, and chronologically where appropriate, within the series.
Separated Materials
13.95 Cubic Feet of photographs were transferred to the photographic collections (see "Related Materials" below), and one map was transferred to the map collection. Three paintings (3"x5") by a friend of Amos Burg, transferred to the artifacts collections of the Oregon Historical Society museum.
Related Materials
The Amos Burg photograph collection can be found in the Oregon Historical Society Research Library as Org. Lot 450. A separate guide to these photographs is available in the Research Library.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series I:: Diaries , ca. 1917-1983Return to Top
Include diaries of Amos Burg, Willis Johnson (1938), and Buzz Holmstrom (1938).
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/1 | Diaries |
undated |
1/2 | Diary |
1917 |
1/3 | Diary, San Francisco voyage
|
Jan-Mar 1918 |
1/4 | Diary, 1919, USS Waikiki
& 1920 Pacific Coast |
|
1/5 | Diary |
August 1921-May 1922 |
1/6 | Diary |
1921-1924 |
1/7 | Diary |
6/28/1925-10/23/1925 |
1/8 | Diary |
9/7/1927 |
1/9 | Diary |
4/22/1928-8/25/1928 |
1/10 | Diary |
10/22/1928-11/21/1928 |
1/11 | Diary |
12/10/1928-4/13/1929 |
1/12 | Diary |
9/6/1929-9/7/1929 |
1/13 | Diary |
1930 |
1/14 | Diary
Not continuous: 8/3/1935, 6/4/1937, 7/21/1937, 4/12/1941,
10/20/1941-11/3/1941, 3/6/1942-5/20/1942, 4/21/1942-5/20/1942,
6/12/1942-7/14/1942, 11/3/1944, 6/19/1946.
|
1935-1946 |
1/15 | Diary
Not continuous: 8/26/1938, 8/27/1938, and 11/3/1938
|
1938 |
1/16 | Diaries-by Buzz Holmstrom and
Willis D. Johnson |
1938 |
1/17 | Diary-by Willis D. Johnson
|
1939 |
1/18 | Diary
Not continuous: 1/1/1940-3/6/1940, 4/7/1940, 4/25/1940
(partial), 6/1/1941, 10-13/1941, 4/12/1941, 1/8/1942
|
1940-1942 |
1/19 | Diary
Not continuous: 5/4/1964-10/5/1964 (partial)
|
1964 |
1/20 | Diary |
1965-1966 |
1/21 | Diary |
7/14/1968-8/1/1968 |
1/22 | Diary
Not continuous: 1/6/1971, 10/29/1971-3/8/1972, 7/29/1973,
2/26/1973, 12/22/1971-2/24/1972, 6/26/1974-7/14/1974.
|
1971-1974 |
1/23 | Diary
Not continuous: 2/4/1960-4/29/1960, 11/10/1964-12/21/1964,
8/4/1969-9/22/1969
|
1960-1969 |
1/24 | Diary
Not continuous: 11/9/1974-1/7/1975, 1/10/1975-2/5/1975,
4/12/1978-8/21/1978, 1/15/1979-2/3/1979
|
1974-1979 |
1/25 | Diary
Not continuous: 10/12/1980-10/18/1980, 2/16/1981-4/5/1981,
10/3/1984-11/4/1984
|
1980-1984 |
1/26 | Diary |
March 1983-June, 1983 |
Series II:: Trip Logs and Maps , 1922-1977Return to Top
The series contains Amos Burg's trip logs, as well as maps of areas to which he traveled while working on stories, articles, or film and photo projects.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
2/1 | Lewis and Clark Trail
Expedition and "Mississippi River Trip" |
1922 |
2/2 | Columbia River |
1924 |
2/3 | Seattle to the Orient trip
log |
1924 |
2/4 | Snake River with Harry
Fogelburg |
1925 |
2/5 | Yukon River |
1928 |
2/6 | Yukon River, basis for film
and articles for
National Geographic
|
1928 |
2/7 | MacKenzie River, Yukon River
|
1929 |
2/8 | Maps of trip from Athabaska
to Whitehorse and others |
1929 |
2/9 | Maps of the Alaska Steamship
Co. routes |
ca. 1940 |
2/10 | Log: "Camargo" |
1/17/1931-3/20/1931 |
2/11 | Cape Horn |
1934 |
2/12 | Cape Horn maps |
1934 |
Tierra del Fuego |
1934 | |
Box/Folder | ||
2/13 | Log I |
|
2/14 | Log II |
|
2/15 | Log III |
|
2/16 | Log IV |
|
2/17 | Log V |
|
Box/Folder | ||
2/18 | Basis for
National Geographic article on Cape Horn
trip |
1934 |
2/19 | Green and Colorado River
|
1938 |
2/20 | Hells Canyon/Snake River
|
1976 |
2/21 | Yukon River voyage
|
1977 |
Series III:: Correspondence , ca. 1920-1985Return to Top
Contains letters both to and from Amos Burg, his family, friends, and business associates.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
3/1 | Amos & Carolyn Burg,
joint |
ca. 1955-1989 |
3/2 | To Amos Burg from his mother
|
ca. 1940 |
3/3 | From Amos to his parents
|
ca. 1918-1948 |
3/4 | Family |
ca. 1924-1985 |
Personal |
||
Box/Folder | ||
3/5 | Incoming, A-H
|
ca. 1928-1985 |
3/6 | Incoming, I-Z
|
ca. 1924-1985 |
3/7 | Incoming, general, no
surname |
ca. 1933-1984 |
3/8 | Outgoing |
ca. 1926-1985 |
3/9 | Outgoing, some surnames
|
ca. 1936-1985 |
Box/Folder | ||
3/10 | Education and Information
Office, Dept of Fish and Game, Alaska |
ca. 1964-1974 |
3/11 | Encyclopedia Britannica
Films, ERPI Classroom Films |
ca. 1938-1982 |
3/12 |
National Geographic Society |
ca. 1924-1974 |
3/13 | Incoming personal, business
interest, organized by correspondent's last name, A-G |
ca. 1930-1984 |
3/14 | Incoming personal, business
interest, organized by correspondent's last name, H-Z |
ca. 1931-1984 |
3/15 | Correspondence, outgoing
personal, business interest |
ca. 1933-1972 |
Series IV:: Research Notes, Articles, and Lectures , ca. 1925-1976Return to Top
Contains drafts of articles, notes for articles, films and lectures, and final copies of articles and some published versions.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
4/1 | Notes for
National Geographic Articles on Oregon
|
1932, 1933 |
Research notes |
||
Box/Folder | ||
4/2 | Norway
See also related images in ORG LOT 450.
|
ca. 1932-1933 |
4/3 | Nunivak Island Eskimos
See also related images in ORG LOT 450.
|
ca. 1940 |
4/4 | Pioneers Home, Sitka,
Alaska |
ca. 1950 |
4/5 | Lifeboats |
ca. 1955 |
4/6 | Research Notes, Columbia,
Yukon, Colorado Rivers |
ca. 1960 |
4/7 | MacKenzie River and "fact
book" |
1968 |
General notes
|
||
Box/Folder | ||
4/8 | ca. 1912-1965 | |
4/9 | ca. 1934-1978 | |
4/10 | ca. 1938-1978 | |
4/11 | ca. 1938-1982 | |
Box/Folder | ||
4/12 | Anecdotes |
ca. 1950-1970 |
4/13 | Anecdotes |
ca. 1960-1980 |
5/1 |
Alaska Fish and Game Trails covers by Amos
Burg |
ca. 1972-1978 |
5/2 | From
Alaska Fish and Game Trails, "Campfire
Reflections," |
ca. 1970-1978 |
5/3 | Original: "Campfire
Reflections," |
ca. 1970-1978 |
5/4 | Green and Colorado River
Trip, by Amos Burg |
1938 |
5/5 | "Katia", notes & partial
transcript of Amos Burgs voyage on the "Katia", dictated to Skip Wallen
|
1984 |
5/6 |
National Geographic articles |
ca. 1937-1954 |
5/7 | Sourdough Sam articles
|
ca. 1963-1966 |
Articles, general, by Amos
Burg |
||
Box/Folder | ||
5/8 | ca. 1963-1979 | |
5/9-10 | ca. 1922-1979 | |
Box/Folder | ||
5/11 | Lecture notes and booking
schedule for Amos Burg lecture series |
ca. 1936-1960 |
5/12 | Lecture notes for Amos Burg
lecture series |
ca. 1936-1980 |
Series V:: Materials relating to films by Amos Burg , ca. 1925-1977Return to Top
This series contains notes, scripts, and miscellaneous materials relating to Amos Burg's films, ca. 1925-1977. The materials contain drafts, final revisions, text, scoring notes, technical notations for films, scripts and related materials such as budgets for a 1977 film, and other proposed projects.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
6/1 | Alaska Dept Fish and Game:
film notes and record of films borrowed |
ca. 1960-1975 |
6/2 | "Alaska Big Game Safari Film:
the story behind it" |
1960 |
6/3 | ERPI,
Encyclopedia Britannica, & Classroom
Films |
ca. 1932-1944 |
6/4 | "Navajo Wood Plant" Film,
script and general material |
1976 |
6/5 | "Navajo Wood Plant" Film,
correspondence and bank account |
1976 |
6/6 | Film Text, "On the Hudson Bay
Trail to the Polar Sea" |
1968 |
6/7 | Captions and Text Films
(Alaska) |
ca. 1950 |
6/8 | Captions for Films by Burg
|
ca. 1940-1960 |
6/9 | Scripts,Captions for films,
notes on lecture series film footage by Burg |
ca. 1940-1966 |
6/10 | Notes for films at Oregon
Historical Society by Burg |
ca. 1928 |
6/11 | General Film Making Notes
|
ca. 1930-1977 |
6/12 | Memos and Unidentified
Notations for films |
ca. 1930-1977 |
Series VI:: Published Materials concerning Amos Burg , 1922-1983Return to Top
Contains published Materials by individuals other than Amos Burg that relate to, involve, or interested Burg. Includes a radio interview, scrapbooks, and articles ca. 1922-1983.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
6/13 | Newspaper Articles about Burg
|
ca. 1927-1980 |
6/14 | Scrapbook |
ca. 1960 |
6/15 | Photocopies of scrapbook
|
ca. 1927-1980 |
6/16 | Scrapbook and Newspaper
clippings |
ca. 1927-1980 |
6/17 | Published Material, publicity
about Burg |
ca. 1927-1980 |
7/1 | Radio Interview |
1936 |
7/2 | Scrapbook Colorado River Trip
with Buzz Holmstrom |
1938 |
7/3 | "MSS Yukon River Trip, 1977"
by Michael Lesley |
1977 |
7/4 | "Tierra del Fuego" by William
Parker Snow |
|
7/5 | "Amos Burg, FN 1931" by Oshen
Agathon |
1981 |
7/6 | Reference articles of
interest to Burg |
Series VII:: Additional Material , ca. 1926-1960Return to Top
Contains various personal papers, résumé, will, memorial service items, passports, diploma, awards, club membership rosters, and 1976 guest book.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
7/7 | Memorabilia from early
voyages |
1926-1927 |
7/8 | Record for land purchase,
Alaska |
ca. 1970 |
7/9 | Résumé, will, memorial
service mementos, for Amos Burg; also Carolyn Burg's will |
|
7/10 | Personal papers, general,
including sister Vera Burg Yunker, life history |
|
7/11 | Passports and diploma
|
|
7/12 | Club member rosters,
membership cards, business cards |
|
7/13 | Awards, certificates and
invitations |
|
7/14 | Rotary Club items, Juneau,
Alaska |
1960 |
7/15 | Records of sloop "Endeavor",
purchased 1938 |
1938 |
7/16 | Collection of inspirational
literature |
|
7/17 | Eulogy for Buzz Holmstrom
|
|
7/18 | Early literary effort
|
ca. 1917 |
7/19 | Amos' flag with insignia
|
|
7/20 | Carolyn Burg's activites and
correspondence |
|
7/21 | Amos & Carolyn Burg's
guest book |
1976 |
7/22 | Addresses |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Authors—United States—Alaska.
- Authors—United States—Oregon.
- Canada—Description and travel.
- Conservation of natural resources—United States.
- Conservation of natural resources—United States—Alaska.
- Grand Canyon (Ariz.)—Description and travel.
- Photographers—United States—Alaska.
- Photographers—United States—Oregon.
- United States—Description and travel.
Personal Names
- Burg, Amos.
- Burg, Carolyn.
- Holmstrom, Buzz, 1909-1946.
- Johnson, Willis D.
Corporate Names
- Alaska. Department of Fish and Game. Office of Education and Information.
- Encyclopedia Britannica.
- Erpi Classroom Films, Inc.
- National Geographic Society (U.S.)
Form or Genre Terms
- Correspondence.
- Diaries.
- Scripts, film.