WAUGreatAlaskaEarthquakePHColl847.xml Guide to the Great Alaska Earthquake Photograph Collection March 27, 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake Photograph Collection Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries © 2009 (Last modified: 1/31/2020)
Seattle, WA 98195
Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard). University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections PH0847 Great Alaska Earthquake photograph collection March 27, 1964 28 photographic prints (various sizes) in 1 box Collection materials are in English. Photographs of the damage caused by the Great Alaska Earthquake, primarily in Anchorage, as well as in Portage, Seward, and Whittier

Called alternately the Good Friday Earthquake or the Great Alaska Earthquake, the earthquake that shook Alaska on Friday, March 27, 1964 was the most powerful recorded earthquake in North American history. The five minute-long earthquake caused extensive damage due to ground failure, landslides, and a tsunami. The earthquake and the effects it produced was directly responsible for 115 deaths. This relatively low number can be attributed to the sparse population of the area and the fact that the quake occurred when most people were at home.

Anchorage, 75 miles northwest of the quake's epicenter, sustained severe damage. Building facades crashed into the street and sections of Fourth Avenue dropped down over 10 feet. About 30 blocks of dwellings and commercial buildings were damaged or destroyed in the downtown area. Some schools were almost decimated. An area of about 130 acres was devastated when the ground collapsed and tilted at all angles and a landslide destroyed about 75 houses. Water mains and gas, sewer, telephone, and electrical systems were disrupted through the area. Earthquake damage was heavy in many other towns, including Chitina, Glennallen, Homer, Hope, Kasilof, Kenai, Kodiak, Moose Pass, Portage, Seldovia, Seward, Sterling, Valdez, Wasilla, and Whitter.

Photographs of the damage caused by the Great Alaska Earthquake primarily in Anchorage, as well as in Portage, Seward, and Whittier.

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

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

Processed by Marion Brown, 2009

Transferred from the Alaska Files, 2009

Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington) Alaska Earthquake, Alaska, 1964--Photographs Buildings--Earthquake effects--Alaska--Anchorage--Photographs Elevated highways--Earthquake effects--Alaska--Photographs Streets--Earthquake effects--Alaska--Anchorage--Photographs Anchorage (Alaska)--Photographs Photographic prints Photographs Alaska Anchorage Photographs

 

Downtown Anchorage 1/1 1 Collapse of Fourth Avenue near C Street March 27, 1964 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Fourth Avenue subsided 11 feet from its former level. Image shows the D&D Bar and Café, the Sportsman's Arcade, the Frisco Bar & Café, the Pawn Shop, the Scandinavian Club Bar, and Sam's Liquor Store.

 1/1 2 Fourth Avenue collapse from the opposite side March 27, 1964 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Image shows Mac's Foto-Cameras, the Frisco Bar & Café, The Sportsman's Arcade, the D&D Bar and Café, Pioneer Loans, Koslosky's Store for men, and the Hobby store. The tall building in the distance is the Anchorage-Westward Hotel.

 1/1 3 View up Fourth Avenue collapse showing a music store, the Hobby store and Koslosky's Store for Men March 27, 1964 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 1/1 4 Man crawling out from front of the Denali Theater and Restaurant on Fourth Avenue March 27, 1964 Anchorage Times

The Denali Restaurant dropped below street level.

 1/1 5 Men walking in front of the damaged Flowers by Bagoy store March 27, 1964 1/1 6 Collapsed Four Seasons Apartment building March 27, 1964

The Four Seasons Apartment building was under construction at the time of the earthquake. The reinforced concrete stairwell and combined elevator core fractured at the first floor and toppled over onto the rubble of the other six floors and roof. Fortunately, there were no casualties, as the construction workers had left the building 35 minutes before the earthquake.

 1/1 7 Crane and men in front of the J.C. Penny store March 27, 1964

Following the earthquake, this building was completely razed and a new, larger building was built.

 Anchorage and Vicinity 1/2 8 Damage to the Government Hill Elementary School March 27, 1964

Showing the difference between the former ground level--the higher part of the building--and the new ground level of the south wing where it sank.

 1/2 9 Wreckage of buildings destroyed in area between 3rd and 4th Avenues March 27, 1964

The tall building on the left is the Anchorage-Westward Hotel. The smaller building to its right is the Turnagain Arms Apartments.

 1/2 10 Cracks in 8th Avenue and L Street March 27, 1964

The building in the upper left served as emergency facilities following the earthquake

 1/2 11 Automobiles and houses near the collapsed section of L or N street March 27, 1964 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 1/2 12 People viewing the land and building damage on L Street March 27, 1964 1/2 13 Apartment buildings near the L Street collapse March 27, 1964 1/2 14 Woman standing in the doorway of a damaged house in the Turnagain neighborhood March 27, 1964 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

The house and swing set in the upper right stands at the original ground level.

 1/2 15 Two cars in a collapsed section of street in the Turnagain neighborhood March 27, 1964 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 1/3 16 House collapsed onto car in the Turnagain neighborhood March 27, 1964 1/3 17 Garage collapsed onto car in the Turnagain neighborhood March 27, 1964 1/3 18 Wreckage in the waterfront area of the Turnagain neighborhood March 27, 1964 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 1/3 19 Damaged street and building, possibly in the Turnagain area March 27, 1964 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 1/3 20-21 Cracked streets, possibly in the Turnagain area March 27, 1964 1/3 22 Buckled ground and house, possibly in the Turnagain area March 27, 1964 1/3 23 Car under a collapsed building March 27, 1964 Elsewhere in Alaska 1/4 24 Ruins of the Portage Inn and cracks in the ground at Portage March 27, 1964 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 1/4 25 Wreckage in the harbor area in Seward March 27, 1964 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 1/4 26 Collapsed Twentymile River bridge on Seward Highway near the Turnagain Arm on Cook Inlet March 27, 1964 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

The bridge fell into the river and some of the wood piles were driven through the reinforced concrete deck.

 1/4 27-28 Damaged storage tanks, possibly near Whittier March 27, 1964