Some albums are in fragile condition.
On April 17, 1882, 26 leading Seattle citizens and businessmen organized the Seattle Chamber of Commerce with the intent of protecting local interests. The Chamber initially focused its efforts on the fight to obtain rail facilities for Seattle, but reorganized in 1910 to broaden its scope, taking the name “New Seattle Chamber of Commerce.” Among the goals of the new Chamber, addressed by its various committees, were “to promote the growth and development of the State of Washington, the territory of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.”
The new Chamber installed several new bureaus; its Board of Trustees unanimously adopted the resolution creating the Alaska Bureau, introduced by the committee on Alaskan affairs, on November 7, 1911. According to the text of the resolution, signed by Bureau chairman J.E. Chilberg, the purpose of the Bureau was the “encouragement and promotion of the development of Alaska,” by working for legislation and appropriations to improve the land and water transportation facilities of Alaska, as well as to “disseminate the truth about Alaska” in order to promote the territory’s development. To this end, the bureau created promotional materials, including albums and exhibits. One such exhibit, in 1913, highlighting Alaska’s resources, was shipped by the Alaska Bureau to Washington to be installed in connection with an educational campaign carried on in the interest of pending legislation for railroad construction by the government. The Alaska Bureau seems to have been disbanded in the early 1920s, though the Chamber’s Alaska Committee continued to function, and is still part of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce today.
The Bureau was chaired by a number of individuals over the years, including Scott Cordell Bone, (circa 1913-1915), who became the tenth Territorial Governor of Alaska, (1921-1925).
The collection consists of 24 10”x14” leather bound albums with photographs mounted on black paper pages. The covers are embossed with gold lettering: the word “Alaska” followed by the title of the album. Each cover is also embossed with the words “Alaska Bureau, Seattle Chamber of Commerce.”
The Alaska Bureau created the albums, containing photographs spanning the years 1897-1925, to promote interest in the Alaska Territory. Twenty-one of the albums are organized by geographic region, and titled Central (3 albums), South (9 albums), Southwest (1 album), Southeast (6 albums), and Northwest (2 albums). These albums contain photographs of the landscape of the area, showing mountains, rivers and volcanoes, as well as images of residential and commercial buildings and town events. The photographs document local industries, including lumber, mining, packing and canning, and hunting. The albums also document the construction of the government railway by the Alaska Engineering Commission between 1914 and 1923.
One album portrays the Alaska Bureau via its offices, exhibits and a Bureau sponsored tour. Two albums are subject based, representing wildlife, foliage and shipwrecks throughout the region, and scenes alone the White Pass and Yukon Route railway.
The albums include photographs produced by many different photographers and photography studios. The majority of the government railroad images are official Alaska Engineering Commission photographs. Predominant photographers include W.H. Case and Case & Draper Studio, Curtis and Miller, E.A Hegg, P.S. Hunt, A.J. Johnson and the Lomen Brothers.
List of all photographers identified by signature or
attribution:
The collection is open to the public by appointment.
The Museum of History & Industry is the owner of the materials in the Sophie Frye Bass Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from MOHAI before any reproduction use. The museum does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.
Alaska Bureau Photograph Albums, Museum of History & Industry, Seattle
Found in collection.
Some photographs had been removed from the albums prior to the most recent processing. These photographs were mounted on cardboard and relocated to the photograph files in the library.
Detailed inventories of the photographs in each album are available in the MOHAI library.
A binder of speeches and articles, dated 1911-1921, by J.L. McPherson, Manager of the Alaska Bureau, is available in the MOHAI library (Accession no. 2009.90.10).
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
This album consists of photographs of the New Seattle Chamber of Commerce Alaska Tour of 1913; photographs of the Alaska Bureau office and exhibits; and Bureau maps highlighting various qualities of the geography and resources of Alaska.
The bulk of the photographs document the 1913 Alaska Tour and its
guests, largely employees of the Bureau and their spouses, including Chairman
Scott C. Bone and Secretary J.L. McPherson. Other guests include the Honorable
Seth Mann, a San Francisco attorney who was President Wilson’s personal
representative on the Tour. Images show Tour groups on board ship on the Yukon
River; playing tennis near a line of the Grand Trunk Railway outside of Prince
Rupert; at a ball at Wrangell; at a mock marriage; on rail excursions; and
visiting other Alaska locations such as Sitka, Fairbanks, Ruby, Circle, Nome,
St. George Island and the Columbia Glacier. The Tour photographs also include
images of the Anglican missionary William Duncan from British Columbia at
Metlakatla, the Indian community he founded on Annette Island, south of
Ketchikan. Several steamships used by the Chamber of Commerce are depicted,
including the
Twenty photographs, largely undated, document the Alaska Bureau office, library, personnel, showcases and exhibits. The latter include exhibits such as “Alaska Resources and Products,” showing glass cabinets containing agricultural, marine and geologic resources; and the Bureau’s “Develop Alaska” themed exhibit at the 1916 “Northwest Land Products Exposition.” Photographs of personnel depict members of the Alaska Bureau at the Senate office building in Washington, D.C., and at their desks in Bureau offices.
The maps include 25 hand colored maps and 20 photographs of maps produced by the Bureau highlighting various features of Alaska. These date from 1912-1920 with the bulk from 1913. The maps depict, for example, the comparative size of Alaska relative to other land masses such as the United States, the New England States and the Scandinavian Peninsula; indicate weather features, such as seasonal temperatures and rainfall; and depict quantity and distribution of natural resources, land transportation and telegraph services.
Predominant photographers: Curtis & Miller, Frank H. Nowell
This album contains photographs taken in and around Fairbanks, with images of homes, public buildings, events, mining and scenic views.
Approximately 30 images depict homes, cabins and ranches of various named individuals, including many views that emphasize well-tended gardens and grounds. Two images depict woman at lawn parties near meticulously kept homes.
Many public buildings are depicted, including the public library
and public school; churches (Church of the Immaculate Conception and St.
Matthew’s); hospitals (St. Matthew’s, St. Joseph’s and the “Detention
Hospital”); restaurants (the Shaw House Grill and the Arcade Cafe); and other
buildings (the Masonic Temple and a fur store). Views of Fairbanks include
images of a steel bridge erected in 1917; the Fairbanks waterfront, including
images of the steamers
Several images show local people and events, such as a 1917 Fourth of July celebration, a baseball game, cart and chariot races, a railroad celebration, the Fairbanks City Band and hunters and fishermen with their day’s catch.
Other images include a bird’s eye view of Fox Station on the Chatanika Branch of the Alaska Railroad, and the settlement at Paxson.
Predominant photographers: Johnson; Curtis & Miller
This album consists largely of images of the Government Farm and other farms in Fairbanks, and of horticultural exhibits in Fairbanks.
Photographs of the Government Farm depict fields of rye, wheat, potatoes and other crops. Other named farms depicted include Hinckley’s ranch and dairy farm, Erickson’s Farm, Rickert’s ranch, Aaron Buzby’s ranch, Wiest’s Ranch, and William Young’s Ranch. Other images of agriculture show John Scharle on a strawberry field and one of his strawberry plants; and a truck farm near Fairbanks.
Several photographs document Fairbanks Agricultural Shows in 1914 and 1915; a produce exhibit at the Agricultural College and School of Mines in Fairbanks; and a chart of Fairbanks winter temperature in 1911 and 1912.
Other photographs depict native Alaskans tending fishing nets and drying salmon; a group of white and native men at the Native Conference at Fairbanks in 1915; a bridge across the Tanana River and a railroad depot at Nenana.
Predominant photographers: Curtis & Miller; A.J. Johnson
The bulk of the photographs document the construction of the Alaska Railroad by the Alaska Engineering Commission (A.E.C.) in Nenana and along the Nenana River.
These images include scenic views of the Nenana River Canyon and of railway construction in the canyon; railroad crews and equipment; Alaska Engineering Commission buildings, such as worker cottages, hospital, mess house and cold storage; and the A.E.C. dock. Other railway construction images document the washout at Lost Slough in 1917; railroad grading operations; Bailey Station construction camp; the Nenana terminal yard; and Healy Canyon. One series of photographs documents flooding on Commission grounds during the spring ice break up. Most of these images are official Alaska Engineering Commission photographs; many of them note the mile mark of the railway location depicted in the image.
Other images of Nenana depict the waterfront; businesses in the town; residences; a potato patch; a fox farm; a crowd boarding the steamer Reliance for an excursion; a baseball game (Nenana versus Fairbanks); and a certificate from the fraternal organization “Pioneers of Alaska” granting charter to “Igloo Number 17” in Nenana.
Another series of images depict the Yukon River and the Yukon
River Valley, including the town Eagle and Fort Egbert at Eagle, Circle, Fort
Gibbon, Fort Yukon, the Indian camp Melozi on the Yukon River and several
images of the town of Ruby. Other Yukon region images show an Episcopalian
rector with Alaska natives, the riverboat
Other photographs depict the Manley Hot Springs Hotel and Natatorium in the Tanana District; a quartz stamp mill near Fairbanks; the town of Chena; and the interior of the first coal mine on Lignite Creek (1918).
Predominant photographers: A.J. Johnson and H.G. Kaiser for the Alaska Engineering Commission
The bulk of the photographs depict landscapes along the Copper River and Northwestern Railway, built between 1907 and 1911 to move copper ore from the mines at Kennicott to the port of Cordova; and scenes in and near Cordova.
Photographs taken along the Copper River and Northwestern Railway include images of the Miles and Childs Glaciers on the Copper River (including a postcard showing the relative size of Childs Glacier and the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.), and the Miles Glacier Bridge (also known as the “Million Dollar Bridge” for it’s cost of $1.4 million) spanning the Copper River. Other images depict railway officials in Cordova; and a group of officials, including United States Secretary of the Interior Walter L. Fisher, at Childs Glacier. Other locales along the railway include Murchison Creek and Murchison Falls, Alaganik and Alaganik Slough, Flag Point Bridge, the Copper River flats, and Henry Glacier.
Several photographs document salmon canning operations in Cordova: at the Pioneer Packing Company, the Carlisle Packing Company and the Ohm Fish and Packing Company, including the unloading of fishing vessels at the docks and views of employees working inside the cannery.
Other Cordova images include views of business streets; steamers,
such as the
Other views in and near Cordova include: Capes St. Elias, Spencer and Hinchinbrook; Le Perouse Glacier; placer mining; a Bering coal field; the town of Katalla; Lake Eyak; McKinley Lake and the Salmon River Valley; Mount Eccles; Whiting Falls; trout streams; and Abercrombie and Baird Canyons along the Copper River.
Predominant photographers: E.A. Hegg; R.E. Hegg
This album consists largely of landscapes along the Copper River and Northwestern Railway.
Views near railroads tracks and trestles include: Baird Canyon, Abercrombie Canyon, Wood Canyon, Chitina Lake, the Kuskulana Bridge in Chitina Valley, Spirit Mountain, Childs Glacier, the Chugach Range, and many scenic views along the Copper River. Other scenic images depict the mouth of the Tasnuna River, a trout lake in Chitina, Mount Blackburn, Mount Wrangell, glaciers, valleys, mountains, and a boiling pot hole in a river in McCarthy. Other images show the Tonsina Roadhouse on the Fairbanks Trail, a cannery near the railroad tracks along the Copper River and Cascade Creek Engineering Camp.
Several images depict mines and mining operation, including Bonanza mine at Kennicott; Kennicott Mine Company’s office, club and tram terminal; and other mine buildings and operations, probably in Kennicott.
Other images depict men working in fields, groups of people at events (possibly in Kennicott), and the town of Kennicott.
Predominant photographers: E.A. Hegg; P.S. Hunt
This album consists largely of photographs of Valdez and of the Valdez-Fairbanks wagon road and roadhouses.
Valdez landscapes include views of the Lowe River and Valdez Valley, Valdez Bay and Harbor, the Valdez waterfront and pier, and Valdez Narrows. Other views in and near Valdez depict Copper Mountain, a fishtrap in Prince William Sound, Ruth Lake, the Nelson townsite, Fort Liscum and Mount Sugar Loaf.
Several images depict the town of Valdez, including businesses, homes and gardens, and Valdez residents. Photographs of people include images depicting Valdez schoolchildren; townspeople at a men’s race on the main street; members of Igloo # 7 of the fraternal organization Pioneers of Alaska; a celebration of the 95th anniversary of the Valdez lodge of the International Order of Odd Fellows; a women’s basketball team; and U.S. District Court officials. Other town images depict a bank; the Courthouse; the arrival of $60,000 in gold dust in Valdez in 1905; and the arrival of the first automobile, a Model T Ford.
Other images of people depict native Alaskans (“Copper River natives”) including Chief Stickwan; Governor Clark visiting the Cliff Gold Quartz mine on Valdez Bay; and members of the Alaska Road Commission (W.P Richardson, Lieutenant L.A. Kunzig, Lieutenant G.E. Edgerton, Major J. Morrow, Leonard M. Cox, Alfred H Brooks, and Colin M. Ingersoll).
Approximately 20 images depict the Valdez-Fairbanks wagon road and various roadhouses, many showing delivery of goods by dog or horse teams. Views along the road include: the Lowe River Valley, Government Barns, the “Dutch flats,” Tiekhell and Keystone Canyons, the Saina River; the Fairbanks-Valdez stage with mail and passengers, a wooden bridge near Fairbanks, and horse and dog teams drawing sleds up Valdez Summit. Roadhouses depicted are: Earnestine Roadhouse, Tonsina Roadhouse, Tiekhell Roadhouse, Miers Roadhouse on Golkana River, Camp Comfort, Worthman’s Roadhouse, the Dam Roadhouse, and Yost’s Roadhouse. A few images depict the Chitina-Fairbanks Road and Chitina-Fairbanks stage with passengers.
The album includes several images of Copper Center, including the dining room of the Hotel Holman, the photographer P.S. Hunt with his dog and sled in front of Hotel Holman, and an irrigating wheel near the U.S. Telegraph station.
Other images depict mine buildings at Ellamar; a trussed bridge; a Ford Model T being pulled from the mud by a horse; and men at a survey camp for the Valdez-Yukon Railway (1905).
Predominant photographers: P.S. Hunt; Guy F. Cameron
The bulk of this album consists of photographs of Seward.
Scenic views of and near Seward include birds-eye views of the town; of Resurrection Bay, Unawik Bay and Portage Bay; of the Columbia, Serpentine and Mears Glaciers in Prince William Sound; Marathon Mountain; the rock formations Seal rocks, Twin Sentinels, and Hole in the Wall; the Seward waterfront; Kenai Lake; and Cape Elizabeth near Cook Inlet.
Photographs also depict the U.S. Government Railroad depot at Seward; the San Juan Fish Company plant and dock; the Alaska Central Railway sawmill and office building; and the Latouche mine and mine buildings. Other Seward buildings include the Episcopal, Catholic and Methodist Churches, the General Hospital, the Bank of Seward, a schoolhouse, and homes. One image depicts the Russian Orthodox Church in Kiniklik.
Several photographs depict events and scenes of everyday. These include: a baseball game with spectators; John Sullivan winning the 50 yard dash (1918); a crowd at a government sale of lots (1916); a picnic in Resurrection Valley; a display of produce at the 1916 Seward Civic Fair; empty beer kegs on the wharf; 3rd and 4th Street in Seward; and dog teams.
Steamships pictured at dock in Resurrection Bay include the
Predominant photographers: Hettle’s; Maude Dempsey; Merl LaVoy
This album consists of photographs of various locations on the Kenai peninsula, particularly Seward and Seldovia.
Scenic views of the Kenai peninsula include several images of Resurrection Bay and River; Spencer, Tonsina and Pedersen glaciers; Bear Lake, Trail Lake, Cooper Lake, Jerome Lake and Lake Etak; several images of Lake Kenai and the Kenai River; Spruce Creek and Six Mile Creek; and Homer-Kachemak and Porcupine Bays. Other scenes show the towns of Hope, Homer and Port Graham.
Images of Seldovia include a view of the town, a group of Kenai
natives near thatched buildings, a Greek Church, and the steamer
Several images portray landscapes along the Alaska Northern Railway, and later, the U.S. Government Railroad, showing train tracks and trestles, including images along Snow River and Lake Kenai, the Turnagain Arm Division of Government Railroad (1917), and several views of the Seward division of the Government Railroad.
Photographs reflecting everyday life include images of Alaska produce; residents near log cabins, gardens and ranches; men fishing on Resurrection Creek; two women prospecting on the East Fork; a prospector’s camp; dogs carrying packs with equipment; people picnicking; and a view of a commercial street in Seward.
Other images depict the Libby-MacNeil Cannery in Kenai; Fidalgo
Island Cannery at Port Graham; the Skeen-Lechner mine buildings; men with a
horse drawn wagon of hay at Kenai Experimental Station; a salmon drying rack at
Quartz Creek; USS
A few images depict government officials: Governor and Mrs. Riggs on the first through train from Seward to Anchorage; Riggs with Secretary of Navy Daniels and Secretary of Interior Payne in front of the Seward railway station; and Daniels, Payne and Admiral Hugh Rodman viewing Spencer Glacier.
This album consists largely of Alaska Engineering Commission (A.E.C.) photographs documenting construction of the Alaska Engineering Commission Railway (Government Railway) along Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet, the grounds and buildings of the Alaska Engineering Commission in Anchorage, and other images of Anchorage.
Photographs of A.E.C. Railway operations along Turnagain Arm include images of A.E.C. construction camps at Falls Creek, Rainbow Creek, and Sheep Creek; and of Turnagain Arm bridges near Anchorage. Several images depict the blasting operations of various companies, and are often inscribed with the amount, in thousands of pounds, of dust produced and rock moved.
Photographs of Anchorage include images of the U.S. government auctioning lots in 1915, the tent city which sprang up in Ship Creek near the A.E.C. headquarters, the log buildings housing the A.E.C. hospital and library, business in tent buildings along the dirt “Main Street,” and tent buildings near railroad tracks. Later railway images (circa 1916-1917) depict A.E.C. officials the A.E.C. headquarters on Ship Creek, A.E.C. Railway yards, cottages, bunkhouses, mess house, commissary, power house, machine shop and hospital.
Other Anchorage scenes depict the Alaska Labor Union Parade
(1916); the ship
Scenic images of Anchorage show Ship Creek, Anchorage Bay, and the Knik Arm River.
Other photographs identify Governor Strong, Lieutenant Mears and C.H. Edes; one image shows Mears and others on a private train car to the Wasilla townsite lot sale.
Predominant photographers: P.S. Hunt (for the Alaska Engineering Commission); Sidney Lawrence Co.
This album consists of Alaska Engineering Company photographs, as well as photographs by other photographers, documenting railway construction, commercial and other buildings, and town events in Anchorage, Alaska.
Photographs of A.E.C. railway construction include a photograph of a woman driving the first spike at Ship Creek (1915); the A.E.C. Office Building and construction camp at Matanuska Junction; Whitney Station (1917); wooden railway bridges over the Knik River and Eagle River; and A.E.C. terminal buildings in Anchorage.
Photographs of Anchorage buildings depict building construction (circa 1915); the interior and exterior of the Empress Theater; the Chamber of Commerce; the Harmony Theater; various businesses in the Alger building (including the Bon Marche), the Alaska building, Lathrop building, Empress building, and Byrne’s building; and the “Socialists and Pioneer” Alaska Labor Union log building.
Photographs of town events depict parades (horse drawn floats; Labor Day, 1916; Memorial Day and 4th of July, 1917; soldiers and civilians in “Decoration Day” parade, 1917); displays of produce and minerals, and a baby show at the 1917 Anchorage Agricultural and Industrial Fair; ceremonies (4th of July; 140th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence); a “ladies” dog-team race (1916); and a baseball team and race in “Recreation Park.”
Other images depict the S.S.
A pair of images depict Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels, Secretary of the Interior J.B. Payne, and Rear Admiral Hugh Rodman being greeted at the Anchorage train depot by crowds and a band, and leaving Anchorage on Destroyer 275 a few days later (July 1920).
Predominant photographers: P.S. Hunt; H.G. Kaiser; Sidney Lawrence Co.
This album consists largely of photographs of Alaska Engineering Company railway and coal operations in the Matanuska River Valley, and of various homes and ranches near Matanuska Junction.
A.E.C. railway photos include images of tracks along the Matanuska and Chickaloon branches (circa 1917-1919), with some showing surrounding farms and homesteads; work crews, horse teams and inspection groups; and timber trestle bridges. Several images depict various camps such as the Headquarters Camp of the Matanuska Division (1916); the depot, commissary and freight house at King River; and camps at Bird Point, the Chickaloon River and Moose Creek. Other images depict the Chickaloon coal mines, showing coal bunkers, tunnel, coal dumps; and the Doherty coal mine, bunkers and operations at Moose Creek.
Several images depict residents of the Matanuska River Valley and their homesteads and ranches, circa 1917. Named ranches and homes near Matanuska Junction include Edward Saindon’s potato fields, log cabin and a concrete building under construction; the Harman and Nyland ranches and greenhouse; the Kinsinger and Winchester ranches; and Mr. A.A. Cobb’s log cabin and garden. Other farming images include the Cornwall ranch at Moose Creek; Olof Wagner cultivating potatoes, with the temporary town of Wasilla in background; images of potato and hay fields, and the first hay crop, in 1916.
Other images depict ground clearing and planting at the Government Experimental Station near Matanuska Junction, and Secretary of the Interior J.B. Payne, Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels and an “official party” at the Station.
Other views include a panorama of Matanuska Junction; the Matanuska River and bluffs; Eska Creek canyon; and the town of King on the Matanuska branch. One photograph depicts the exterior of the Curry Hotel in Curry, Alaska.
Predominant photographers: P.S. Hunt and H.G. Kaiser for the Alaska Engineering Commission; Sidney Lawrence Co.
This album consists largely of AEC photographs documenting the building of the Government Railroad in the Susitna River Valley, as well as images of life in and near the town of Knik.
AEC railway photographs depict delivery of supplies and
construction, showing steel gangs at work; a barge loaded with supplies
arriving at Talkeetna; materials freighted on wagons pulled by a Caterpillar
tractor; the river steamship
AEC bridges depicted include the AEC Little Susitna Bridge (1917), the Susitna River Bridge site in 1920, and the steel and concrete Susitna Bridge (1921); the timber Talketna River bridge; the Hurricane Gulch bridge site marked with the location of the proposed bridge (1920); and a wagon bridge at Indian River.Other images depict log and tent buildings at AEC construction camps, such as camps at Hurricane Gulch and Talkeetna, and the raising of the first flag at the Ship Creek (Anchorage) camp.
Eight photos of the Broad Pass mining district show prospectors on the Susitna River, a tent camp, cross cut on a ledge, and ore croppings.
Photographs in and near Knik include views of the village of Knik; of a tent village (“Old Knik”); log buildings, including the “Knik Roadhouse;” the “Pioneer Roadhouse;” prospectors, sleds and dog teams; farms, fields and homesteads; and a promotional card for Knik Commercial Club. One photo shows Chief Nikoli of Talketna Indians with family on the roof of a log cabin.
Scenic views show buildings along the river at Susitna Station (later the town of Susitna); the Talkeetna waterfront; Mounts Baker and McKinley from Talkeetna; Ship and Willow Creeks; and the Sisitna River. Others show Kroto Village and river; Birch Ridge in the Susitna Basin; the head of navigation on the Indian River; and a Kahiltna Valley creek showing native grasses.
Predominant photographers: H.G. Kaiser, P.S. Hunt and Sydney Lawrence Co. for the Alaska Engineering Commission.
This album consists of photographs of Southwestern Alaska, including the Lower Yukon south to the Alaska Peninsula, the Aleutian Islands, Kodiak Island and the Pribilof Islands.
Photographs of the Aleutian Islands and Alaska peninsula depict Unalaska Island (showing the town and harbor of Unalaska and Cascade Falls); the town and harbor of Dutch Harbor; a codfish station near the harbor on Sanak Island; and a salmon cannery on the peninsula. A pair of images of the village of Morvhovoi (on the east side of Isanotski Strait) depict buildings and a church near the water and an Aleut woman in front of a sod house. Photographs depict Aleut “barabara” winter houses (partially underground structures with driftwood frames covered in sod), and Aleutian-made Attu baskets. Views include mountains, glaciers and a harbor covered in volcanic ash as a result of the explosion of Mt. Katmai. Other images depict a Baptist Mission on Wood Island; a view of Sandpoint on Popof Island; the town of Unga and its anchorage; the town of Belkofsky; a whaling station on Akutan Island; and Castle Cape in Chignik Bay.
Photos from the Pribilofs show seals and seal herds, a Greek Church, and scenic views, all from St. Paul Island.
Photographs of Kodiak Island depict an aerial view of Kodiak; people on beach in Karluk; interior of a Greek church and other churches; hunters with Kodiak bears, bear carcasses and hides; and Galloway cattle.
The album has several photographs of volcanic peaks, such as Pavlof, Shisaldin, Chernaboro (Augustine) and Katmai in the Aleutian range. One image gives a view of “Islands of Volcanic Origin in Bering Sea”: Castle Rock (Bogoslof Island), Perry Island and Fire Island.
Several salmon canneries are depicted, such those at in Nushagak, Uyak, and King Cove.
Photographs of the Lower Yukon River Valley include images of the interior and exterior of buildings of the Holy Cross Mission, and native children and a vegetable garden at the Mission. Images in the Iditarod region depict scenes along the Iditarod River; the town and waterfront of Iditarod; and the departure of the last boat from Iditarod in September 1914. Other images depict houses in McDougall near the Yentna River; the camp towns “Discovery Otter” and “Flat City,” the Skwentna Valley and Skwentna Road House; an Eskimo residence in Nushagak; and native children at an Episcopal Mission on the Anvik River at Nulato.
Other images depict reindeer herds at Iliamna; the village and public school in Eskimo community of Mountain Village; views of the lower Yukon River; the towns of Marshall, Kotlik and McGrath; and an Indian village along the Innoko River.
Views of the Alaska coast show the shore of Iliamna Bay, panoramas of Portage Bay; Kluklaklatna River. Other views show Shell Creek; Dalzell Creek; the Kuskokwim River and River Valley; Ptarmigan Valley; Houston Pass; Rainey Pass; and Simpson Pass.
This album consists largely of images of Nome, many of which involve mining operations, but also including scenic views and depictions of town life.
Several images depict the lightering and landing of passengers arriving in Nome on steamships, such as the Victoria and the Umatilla; one image depicts the lightering of U.S. Senators for departure from Nome.
Several images show steamships at sea, in drift ice, and at
various roadsteads. Ships include the U.S.R.C.
Images of mining in and near Nome include several images of placer mining (at Glacier Creek, Little Creek, Anvil Creek, on beaches and at other locations); hydraulic mining operations; and underground drifting. Operations of several companies are depicted: the Miocene Ditch Company, the Pioneer Mining Company, and the Union Mining Company. Other mining images depict mining company ditches (along Trinity Bluff in Kugarok Mining District and rounding Cape Horn); and the Three Friends Mining Company’s dredge on the Solomon River.
The album includes several images related to the annual “All Alaska Sweepstakes” dog team race. A few images depict teams at the race, and several show the winning first or second place teams and drivers in races from 1912 through 1915. One image reproduces an announcement for the 5th annual race in 1912.
Images of the town of Nome include a panorama and a view of Nome in snow from Bering Sea. Life in Nome is portrayed in images of people at events, such as children posed on “Children’s Day,” 1914; people watching floats in the 1915 Fourth of July parade; and the “Shriner Night” audience at the May Roberts Company production of “The Adventuress” in Eagle Hall (1912). A sense of Nome life is also conveyed in the images of an interior of a log cabin clubhouse, and a photograph of a long table set for the Kegoryah Kozga Women’s Club annual luncheon (1915).
Several images depict the Bering Sea in various weather conditions and at different times of day; one image shows an ice hummock on the sea.
Other images depict Black Chief Bluff near the town of Bluff, scenes on the Niukluk and Snake Rivers, and stacks of gold bricks. One multiple exposure shows the positions of the sun hourly between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. as it barely rises over the horizon from Nome.
Predominant photographer: Lomen Brothers
This album consists of photographs of northwestern Alaska natives and native Alaskan life, and images of northwest Alaska towns and scenic views.
Photographs of Alaska natives include several individual portraits, including one of “Reindeer Mary” and her husband; people in canoes and kayaks; a group of berry pickers; a seal hunter; a family group in front of a cache; hunters with a pile of walrus heads; a blanket tossing game; and two people net fishing. Several images depict Alaska natives with reindeer, including riding in reindeer drawn sleds, and participating in Reindeer Fairs. The album also includes a photograph of Reindeer Fair delegation prize banners. Several images depict reindeer herds in various locations such as Nome, Kotzebue and Port Clarence.
Other images depicting native life show a salmon drying rack on the Pilgrim River; Inupiaq houses built on the side of a cliff on King Island; traditional sod barabara houses; and fish caches at the mouth of the Neukluk River.
Photographs of northwest Alaska towns depict St. Michael, showing
a Greek Church, the riverboat sternwheeler
A few images of animals show walrus herds on the Bering Sea; and
the lassoing and capture of a polar bear. Other images depict the ship
Predominant photographer: Lomen Brothers
This album consists largely of photographs of Ketchikan, Alaska, including images of the fishing industry, and views of town and the natural environment. It also includes a few images of Metlakatla, the Tsimshian community of followers of the Anglican missionary William Duncan.
Images of the Ketchikan fishing industry show facilities of
fishing companies, such as the cold storage room and other buildings of the New
England Fish Co., a view of Smiley’s cannery, and canneries at Waterfall and
Loring. The album includes several images of halibut fishing boats: the
Other images of Ketchikan industries and businesses depict men in a workshop, building boats, and near engines in a power plant; the Standard Oil depot; and operations of the Ketchikan Power Co.
Other ships depicted include the U.S.S.
Photographs of the town of Ketchikan show residences, commercial and public buildings (such as the Tongass Trading Co. building, the Council Chamber and the Public Library), commercial streets, and the “Ketchikan-Wacker route” bus. An interior view of the Ingersoll Hotel shows John E. Thwaite’s photo and curio shop.
Other views of Ketchikan depict the waterfront and dock, a sawmill, St. John’s Mission, Dock St., a view of Newtown, and houses along Ketchikan Creek. People in Ketchikan are shown on a street on “Steamer day,” at a July 4th parade, at a ballgame on the tide flats, on the beach, and hiking on Deer Mountain.
Photographs of Metlakatla include views of the town, a Metlakatla church, and two portraits of William Duncan.
Other photographs include views of the towns of Hyder and Loring, Portland City and the Portland Canal, Kasaan and Kasaan Bay, and Sunny Point. Other views depict Beaver Falls, Salt Lake, Granite Basin, Tongass narrows, tide rips on Seymour Narrows, and Rudyard, Dora, Ella and Whitewater Bays. Also depicted are Eddystone Rock, Mount Andrew mine, Deer Mountain, Twin Falls, Ward’s Cove, Burro Creek, and Checats Cove.
Predominant photographer: Bergstresser
This album consists largely of images of Wrangell, and views of Alaska Indian villages and totem poles near Ketchikan, on Prince of Wales Island and other southeast islands.
Views of Wrangell show the waterfront, Wrangell Harbor, and the town of Wrangell; other images depict the town courthouse, Wrangell homes, and a Presbyterian church and manse. Images show intermediate schoolchildren in classrooms and dressed in costumes representing other countries; and high school students and teachers outside a school. Two images depict a Wrangell strawberry crop. Other images from Wrangell include photos of people around biplanes, apparently the first airplanes to Wrangell, and a group at a beach.
Views related to the lumber industry show spruce, yellow cedars and hemlock trees; a log boom; stacks of lumber at the W.S. Mill in Wrangell, and MacDonald’s lumber camp. Several images depict the town of Tokeen and Tokeen marble quarry operations on Prince of Wales Island. A few images show the village of Dolomi, and Dolomi Harbor and mine on Prince of Wales Island.
The album includes many photographs depicting Indian totems and Indian dwellings (some probably in abandoned villages). Locations depicted include Tuxekan Island, the old Haida village of Sukkwan on Prince of Wales Island, Old Kasaan, Village Island, and Pennock Island. Several of the images depict Indian grave totems. Images of the Hydaburg Indian Reservation on Prince of Wales Island show views of Hydaburg from the water and children inside and outside the Hydaburg Native School.
The album includes views of LeConte and Knig glaciers on the Stikene River; the old U.S./Canadian boundary on the Stikine; and of Mill Creek, Port Johnson and Kasaan. Other images depict hanging bear pelts, a pile of fox furs, and deer carcasses in a warehouse.
Predominant photographer: J.E. Worden
The third southeast Alaska album consists largely of images of the fishing industry, depicting the buildings and operations of several canneries in southeast Alaska, largely on islands in the Alexander Archipelago.
Several images depict operations at the Thlinket (Tlinget) Packing Co. in Funter Bay on Admiralty Island (1907). These include images of salmon fishing, showing salmon traps, men lifting traps, brailing salmon from trap to scow, and a scow load of salmon. Other Thlinket Co. images depict salmon in a warehouse, a group of native employees, and a view of cannery buildings.
Other cannery images depict Fidalgo Island Cannery in Ketchikan; the Hawk Fish Co. in Hawk Inlet; the Chilkoot Packing Co.; and views of the NW. F. Co. cannery buildings in Hunter Bay and Santa Anna. Other views of cannery buildings include Tenakee Fisheries in Sunny Cove; N.P.T. & P. Co. cannery in Klawak; the Alaska Fishing Co. floating cannery on Hawk Inlet; Geo.T. Myers cannery at Sitkoh Bay on Chichagof Island; and views of cannery buildings at Wrangell, Tonka, Hoonah, Tee Harbor, Shakan, and Taku Harbor. Other images show machinery inside canneries, and boats of the Juneau halibut fleet.
The album includes many photographs of Petersburg on Mitkof Island, mostly views of the waterfront, boat moorage, and views of the cannery. Other Petersburg images show a fishing fleet, and a parade in town. Views of Wrangell Narrows, near Petersburg, include several views of small ice bergs, a rock pinnacle and views of houses along the water. Several of the photographs of Wrangell Narrows are hand colored.
Two photographs show the native mission at Kake on Kupreanof
Island, and native Tlingit schoolgirls. Other photographs depict the U.S.
Customs House at Wrangell, scenic views of “southeastern Alaska waters,”
Frederick Sound, Cape Decision, the S.S.
Predominant photographers: W.H. Case; Case & Draper
The fourth southeast album consists largely of photographs of Sitka, including views of town and scenic views, and images of Alaska Indians and Indian artifacts.
Scenic views of Sitka consist largely of photographs of the town, Mount Edgecomb and Sitka Harbor. Many images depict unidentified landscapes showing mountains, trees and water near Sitka. Other images depict the Indian River and the experimental agricultural station in Sitka, showing a greenhouse, apple trees and other crops.
Photographs of buildings in Sitka include interior and exterior views of the St. Michael’s Russian Orthodox cathedral; a 1926 view showing the original Pioneers’ home (the old Marine Corps barracks); a timber blockhouse; panoramas of (probably military) buildings; Baranof Castle Hill; an Episcopal Church; and interior views of Jackson’s Museum showing Indian artifacts.
Photographs of Alaska Indians show a Russian priest with Tlingit chiefs and head men; a women scraping a stretched hide; men in canoes before a race; women sewing at the Presbyterian Mission; views of native houses and fish drying racks; and native canoes. Photographs of Indian artifacts depict baskets, a wood chest and drum, feast dishes, stone tool artifacts, and a Chilkat blanket.
The album also includes photographs of documents: the U.S. Treasury Department voucher for the purchase of Alaska; a Russian account ledger from 1791; and 4 pages from the Alaska Times from October 23, 1869, reproducing a speech by William S. Dodge of Sitka on the “Second Anniversary of the Raising of the American Flag.”
Others images depict men inspecting a strawberry field, a church icon, and dirt pathways through the woods in Sitka National Park. Two photographs show Reverend Peter Trimble Rowe, the first Episcopal Bishop of Alaska.
Predominant photographers: Elbridge W. Merrill; Frank H. Nowell; W.H. Case; Winter-Pond Co.
This album consists largely of images Juneau, including town views, buildings and events, and mining operations.
Views of Juneau depict the town and waterfront, including images of residential and commercial streets. The album also includes scenic aerial views of the Juneau area, and a view of Auk Lake.
Buildings and businesses depicted include the governors mansion, the New Cain Hotel, the Catholic Hospital and Church, the B.M. Behrends Bank, and the Federal (Court) Building. Interior views of businesses show store employees inside furniture, grocery, housewares, and candy stores. Images of Juneau industries show men working in foundry and woodworking shops, a brewery housed in an old church and school building, and the Northern Lumber Mill. One image depicts the Twin Glacier Camp for tourists.
Other images of people depict Governor J.F.A. Strong taking the oath of office on the steps of Court Building in 1912, a 1915 Fourth of July celebration in town, and Governor Bone and others riding in a Packard.
Views of mining in Juneau depict buildings, operations and miners in Treadwell, views of the Alaska Gastineau Mining Company operations and buildings in Thane and at Perseverance mine; the Salmon Creek Dam (the Alaska-Gastineau power supply); and hydraulic mining in Silver Bow Basin. Other images depict gypsum mining, and wharf and bunkers in Gypsum.
The album contains a few images of native Alaskans including a portrait of a Chilkat woman “Porcupine Mary,” a native mother and child, and a man with native women near a tent home. One image shows an Indian basket collection.
Other images depict trappers posed with furs, trophies for the Southeastern Alaska School Meet, and government road workers.
A folder with this album contains 4 loose photographs, probably not from the album, depicting totems at Ketchikan and Wrangell, and views of Deering and Nenana.
Predominant photographers: W.H. Case; L.H. Pederson; Frank H. Nowell; Curtis & Miller
This album consists largely of views of glaciers and other natural features near Juneau in southeastern Alaska, and images of Skagway.
Most of the images of glaciers depict Taku glacier, southeast of Juneau. Others depict Lawton Glacier, Dead Glacier, Eagle River Glacier, Davidson Glacier, and Popof Glacier.
Several scenic views depict Lynn Canal; others show Shelter Island, Admiralty Island and the Inside Passage, Mt. Dewey, the Chilkat River and Chatham Straits.Other images show native grasses and the government road in the Chilkat Valley, a road in the Klehini Valley, and the dam at Whitehorse to regulate water for navigation. Photographs of the town of Haines include views showing Fort Seward, and images of produce raised on farms near Haines.
Many images taken in and near Skagway depict farms and ranches; and show produce grown in Skagway. Other Skagway images depict the Pullen House hotel; Skagway homes; a horticultural exhibit; and a school building. Other images show the old Klondike trail by Black Lake, and miners at Chilkoot Pass (circa 1897). One images shows passengers posed near the first White Pass and Yukon Route passenger train on the summit of White Pass in 1899.
Several hunting and trapping images depict hunters, animal carcasses, animals caught in traps, hunting camps and a hunting party on a boat.
Predominant photographers: L.H. Pederson; W.H. Case; Case & Draper; Draper & Co.; Curtis & Miller
This album consists largely of images of native Alaskan animals and plants, as well as a few scenic views and a series of photographs of Alaska shipwrecks.
Images of animals consist largely of images of moose and mountain sheep, but also include bears, grouse, a marmot, owls, a snow rabbit and a fox. Some images show hunters with moose, sheep or bear carcasses.
Among photographs of native plants are 23 hand-colored 8x10 photographs, each depicting a variety of native flowering plant.
Six images show equipment and housing related to the building of the government railway. Among several scenic mountain views are images of Mount McKinley.
A series of photographic postcards depict shipwrecks including:
the
This album depicts rail tracks and scenes along the White Pass & Yukon Route (W.P. & Y.R) between Skagway, Alaska and Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory, Canada, and scenes in the surrounding area. The album also includes images of Dawson, reached by W.P. & Y.R. steamboats.
Photographs of the White Pass &Yukon Railway show scenic mountain views along the railway line, including views of Thompson River near the summit of White Pass, and of Lake Bennett. Other photographs show passengers near a train, a steel railway bridge, and trains at Skagway and in the Skagway Valley.
Photographs in and near Whitehorse depict the town; the steamer Selkirk at Whitehorse docks; Whitehorse Rapids; an old tramway near Lewis River; and Pueblo Copper Mine near Whitehorse. Other images of steamships show the steamer Casca at Whitehorse; the W.P. &Y.R steamer Dawson on Lake Laberge; the steamer Whitehorse on the Thirty Mile River and a steamer at Miles Canyon. One image shows a steamboat being roped through Five Finger Rapids, halfway between Whitehorse and Dawson. Other images show a drawbridge at Caribou Crossing; the steamer Casca at Tantalus Coal Mine in Carmacks (between Whitehorse and Dawson) and scenic view of Tantalus Butte.
Photographs of Dawson depict mining operations and views of town, including a commercial street, a residence, gardens, and the Hotel Royal Alexandra.
Other images depict the border station, showing U.S. and Canadian flags; a W.P. & Y.R. rotary snow plow; Yukon natives at Fort Selkirk; and hydraulic mining in Atlin, B.C. Scenic views show Emerald Lake, view of Lawton Glacier, White Channel and views of upper Yukon River.
Predominant photographers: Curtis & Miller; Maude Dempsey; Case & Draper