Arthur Clarence Pillsbury photographs, approximately 1898-1906

Overview of the Collection

Photographer
Pillsbury, Arthur C. (Arthur Clarence)
Title
Arthur Clarence Pillsbury photographs
Dates
approximately 1898-1906 (inclusive)
Quantity
31 photographic prints (1 box)
Collection Number
PH0331
Summary
Photographs of Alaska, British Columbia, Yukon Territory and Seattle and Washington
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

Entire collection can be viewed on the Libraries' Digital Collections website. Permission of Visual Materials Curator required to view originals. Contact Special Collections for more information.

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Arthur Clarence Pillsbury (1870-1946) was born in Medford, Massachusetts, and moved to Auburn, California with his family in 1883. As a student at Stanford University, he studied mechanical engineering. He opened a bike shop and photography studio in Palo Alto to fund his academic endeavors. During his last year at Stanford, he invented the circuit unit panorama camera as part of his senior thesis.

In 1898, one year after graduating, Pillsbury and his father traveled to the Yukon territory to document the Klondike Gold Rush. His arrival to Alaska was perilous, as a winter storm caused a shipwreck. Fortunately, he and his father received aid from a Tlingit village and his photography equipment was safe inside water-proof containers. Pillsbury was able to document his travels along the Chilkoot and White Pass Trails. He was employed under the Alaska View & Photo Company to photograph the territories in Skagway, Alaska.

Following his trip to the Yukon, Pillsbury established a Seattle studio around 1899-1900. In 1901, he left Seattle for Los Angeles, California, and later settled in San Francisco. From 1903 to March 1906, he worked for the San Francisco Examiner as a photojournalist. Upon leaving the San Francisco Examiner, he started the Pillsbury Picture Company. He operated out of his home in Oakland, California since the home contained a darkroom for developing photographs. Here he published real-photo postcards of Northern California and Yosemite. Later in life, he invented the microscopic, X-ray, and underwater motion picture cameras. Pillsbury passed away in 1946 at age 75. His family continues his legacy through the Pillsbury Foundation.

Historical BackgroundReturn to Top

Three men are credited with the co-discovery of the Klondike Gold Rush in 1896: Skookum Jim Mason, Dawson Charlie, and George Washington Carmack. Their finding of gold in a Klondike River tributary inspired gold seekers to make the perilous journey to the Yukon region. From 1897-1898, thousands of stampeders entered the towns of Dyea and Skagway, Alaska. These two Alaskan settlements were crucial starting points as they were among the few ports in the Chilkoot Inlet.

There were two major trails for prospectors in the Klondike: the Chilkoot and White Pass Trail. The Chilkoot Trail began in Dyea and the White Pass Trail began in Skagway. It was very difficult for animals to travel along the Chilkoot trail because of its difficult, rocky terrain. This meant that prospectors had to go on foot and carry their supplies on their backs. Fortunately for them, the later introduction of the tram ways made this trek easier. Animals were able to travel along the White Pass trail. Unfortunately, these animals were often overworked to the point of exhaustion and death. One area of the trail was dubbed “Dead Horse Gulch” due to the overwhelming amount of animal bones. In addition to these other challenges, there were also reports of hypothermia, disease, malnutrition, avalanches, murder, and suicides.

In present day, the cities of Dyea and Skagway are very different. Skagway has preserved many of its Yukon era buildings and is in charge of maintaining the Klondike Gold Rush Historical National Park. In addition, the city is now a popular destination for Alaskan cruise ships. Unlike Skagway, Dyea began to shrink following the Yukon Gold Rush and is now all but abandoned.

Around 1899, Jafet Lindeberg, Erik Lindblom, and John Brynteson discovered gold in Anvil Creek near modern day Nome. For their discovery, these three men became known as “The Three Lucky Swedes”. However, only Lindblom and Brynteson had Swedish heritage; Lindeberg had Norwegian ancestry. News of their discovery inspired prospectors from the Yukon, Seattle, and San Francisco to make the trip to the Nome mining district. The Nome mining district started out as a seaport located near the Bering Straight, and while the district was located near the ocean, it had no proper harbor, so new arrivals needed to be ferried to shore. The settlement ended up with a population of around 10,000. This influx of new miners encouraged some of the new prospectors to try to reserve previous mining plots. The practice of reserving previous claims was common and became known as “claim jumping”. Some politicians and judges permitted this practice until the Federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals put an end to it. The court ruled the original claims to be valid.

Finding gold in Nome was considerably easier than in the Klondike. This was because there was no need to travel arduous trails like White Pass or Chilkoot. Instead, the gold was found in the sand of the beaches and in the creeks near the settlements. While there was a lot of overlap of both routes and prospectors, the Nome Gold Rush is a separate gold rush from the Klondike.

Today, very few of the original structures stand in Nome. This is due to large fires and storms. However, visitors still venture to Nome to look for gold. The city also offers other tourist attractions, including the Iditarod dog sledding race.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The collection consists of photographs of Alaska and British Columbia (Ketchikan, Nome, Skagway, St. Michael, Wrangell, dances, Log Cabin, Chilkoot Pass, White Pass); Yukon Territory (Yukon River, Dawson), as well as Seattle, Washington, Washington state, and Klukwan potlatches.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Processing Note

Processed by Lillian Xie, 2019. Updated by Maureen Hogan, 2020. Updated by Michaela Kraft, 2021

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Klukwan PotlatchReturn to Top

A potlatch is a traditional ceremony practiced by indigenous tribes of the Pacific Northwest regions of Canada and the United States. The name “potlatch” derives from the Chinook language and means, “to give” in English. This gift-giving ceremony is performed to mark important events in the community including naming ceremonies, marriage celebrations, the transferring of rights and privileges, and the mourning of the dead. The host of the potlatch may don cedar regalia, including headdresses, shawls, and/or masks. They may carry drums, rattles, copper plates, or staffs decorated with their family crest’s animal designs. The host achieves a higher status depending on the value and quantity of the gifts given. Today, potlatches are usually hosted to commemorate the passing of an elder or important member in the community. Some examples of historical potlatch gifts included furs and hides, cedar blankets, carvers, and copper bracelets. Today, some of the gifts include towels and fabrics, silver jewelry, and laundry baskets.

Klukwan, also known as the Chilkat Indian Village, is located in South-Eastern Alaska along the Chilkat River. It is home to one of several Tlingit communities in Alaska. The Tlingit community of this region is composed of the Gaanexteidi (Raven Clan) and the Kaagwaantaan (Eagle Clan). These two clans balance each other. Each clan is composed of houses, such as the Frog House of the Gaanexteidi. The Frog House is both a traditional lineage group and one of the physical houses on the Chilkat River. Today, Klukwan is a community of approximately 100 people. Their Jilkaat Kwaan Cultural Center highlights important clan treasures, including Frog House poles.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/1 1 October 11, 1898
1/1 2 October 11, 1898
1/1 3
Dance of the Sticks at the Klukwan Potlatch (Pillsbury 425)
Performing inside the Frog House of the Gaanaaxteidi clan of the Chilkat Tlingit. This image is of the old Frog house, built in the traditional form of architecture. Hegg 601 - copy made by E.A. Hegg.
October 12, 1898
1/1 4 October 11, 1898
1/1 5 1898

Alaska and CanadaReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/2 6
Totem Pole at Ketchikan (Pillsbury 3)
Written on verso: Friday Eve. Sept. 15th 99. [Date is problematic because Pillsbury would be in Nome a few days later].
between 1898 and 1899?
1/2 7
Mouth of the Stikine [Stickeen River], near Wrangell, Alaska (Pillsbury 59)
Orange mottled discoloration on clouds. Possibly age spotting of white areas.
between 1897 and 1898?
1/2 8
Aerial view of Wrangell, Alaska looking south from Mt. Dewey
Written on photo: Aeolian Bay, Zimovia Channel.
between 1898 and 1899?
1/2 9
Panorama of Dyea, Smugglers Cove, Skagway, and Lynn Canal (Pillsbury 20)
Written on photo: Panorama View from Scenic Hill (2050').
1898?
1/2 10 between 1897 and 1898?
1/2 11
Summit of Chilkoot Pass with aerial tramways
Written on photo: The long span 2050' from the summit of Chilkoot.
between 1898 and 1899?
1/3 12 October 20, 1898
1/3 13 October 26, 1898
1/3 14 April 25, 1899
1/3 15 between 1897 and 1898?
1/3 16
Buildings and men in Stewart City on the Yukon River (Pillsbury 620)
Written on photo: Stewart City on the Yukon.
between 1898 and 1899?
1/4 17 between 1898 and 1899?
1/4 18 between 1898 and 1899?
1/4 19 between 1898 and 1899?
1/4 20 between 1898 and 1899?

Pillsbury and Cleveland SeriesReturn to Top

In the late 1890s, Pillsbury operated in a partnership with V. Cleveland under Pillsbury and Cleveland. Cleveland was a commercial photographer based in Nome, Alaska; Discovery, British Columbia; and Pine City. Pillsbury and Cleveland photographed a variety of locations in Alaska, including Nome and St. Michael.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/5 21 between 1898 and 1899?
1/5 22
Shoreline of Fort-Get-There at St. Michael (Pillsbury 53)
Pillsbury & Cleveland (photographer)
Written on photo: "Healy" the N.A.T. & T. Co.
October 4, 1899
1/5 23
Boat docked along shoreline of Nulato (Pillsbury 64)
Pillsbury & Cleveland (photographer)
Written on photo: On the Yukon.
between 1898 and 1899?
1/5 24
Circle City saloon at Nome waterfront (Pillsbury 40)
Pillsbury & Cleveland (photographer)
between 1898 and 1899?
1/5 25
Street view of Main Street, Nome (Pillsbury 57)
Pillsbury & Cleveland (photographer)
September 22, 1899
1/5 26
Men with shovels at No. 1 below Anvil Creek, Alaska
Probably Pillsbury & Cleveland (photographer)
Anvil Creek is a stream located near modern day Nome, Alaska. In 1899, gold was discovered in this river, which led to the founding of the Nome mining district and the Nome Gold Rush. Anvil Creek was one of the richest claim sites found in Alaska.
Written on photo: Last clean-up for a day and one half run. $10,000 total output. For two months $120,000.
1899?

Washington StateReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder item
1/6 27 1899?
1/6 28 March 18, 1899
1/6 29
Panorama photo of the corner of Pacific and 12 St, Tacoma (Pillsbury 1590)
Written on photo: Copyright 1906 by Pillsbury Picture Co, S.F.
1906
1/6 30
Panorama photo of club house at American Lake (Pillsbury 1597)
Written on photo: Copyright 1906 by Pillsbury Picture Co, S.F.
1906
1/6 31
Men and women sitting on ledge near Index (Pillsbury 703)
Written on photo: Mountain climbers. Pillsbury P.V. Co. Seattle.
March 1900
1/6 32
Paradise Valley at Mount Rainier, Washington
Caption on photo: Paradise Valley & Tattoosch [sic] Range. Copyright, 1906, by Pillsbury Picture Co. (illeg.)Small panorama format.
1889

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)