Elbridge W. Merrill photographs, circa 1895-circa 1915

Elbridge Merrill was born near Boston in 1870. After a difficult childhood including the deaths of his father, younger brother, and then stepfather, Merrill emerged with an interest in photography that he was able to parlay into a career by 1895. Along with many others hearing the news of the Klondike gold rush, he set out for Alaska, arriving in Sitka in 1898. By 1900, he had established a photography business, principally trading in images of Sitka and its surroundings. Merrill viewed himself as an artist, and it was reflected in his compositions, his technical skill, and his indifference toward business practices. In addition to artistic shots of the natural world that he was engrossed by, he supported himself through commercial work. His photographs were published in magazines and used in advertising, and he was commissioned to photograph groups by families and organizations, most notably the Sitka Industrial Training School and the National Park Service. Merrill was especially captivated by the Tlingit people and their culture, often choosing them as photographic subjects and also collecting cultural artifacts. He organized the repair and placement of totem poles that returned to Sitka after traveling for expositions; he participated in their installation in Indian River Park along with Tlingit craftsmen. Merrill was also the first custodian of the Sitka National Historical Park. He developed pneumonia in October of 1929, to which he shortly succumbed.