Alaska Film Archives

About the Collection

Over the past half century, the University of Alaska Fairbanks has built the largest collection of archival films in and about Alaska. The collection combines hundreds of donations of film and videos to UAF by individuals, organizations and institutions. Materials range from professional productions to amateur home-movies, made in and about Alaska from the earliest days of filmmaking through today. Since 1993 these materials have been held by the Alaska Film Archives, a unit of Alaska and Polar Regions Collections & Archives in the Elmer E. Rasmuson Library. Films and videos selected for this portal project are a sampling of the thousands available for checkout on DVD through the Rasmuson Library. Unless otherwise noted, items are presented here in their entirety, unedited and uncut. Short, popular clips from the collection can be viewed on our YouTube channel. Read more about the Alaska Film Archives.

: [Alaska Air Guard earthquake film]; This film contains scenes of earthquake damage in Anchorage, Kodiak, Seward, and Valdez following the March 27, 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake. Title screens indicate the footage was shot by an Alaska Air National Guard Air Transport Squadron.

: [Alaska travel]; This film contains scenes of mountains, the AJ Mine in Juneau, the state capitol building in Juneau, boat travel along the Inside Passage, a large steamship with three smokestacks or funnels, aerial views of glaciers and mountains, the Mendenhall Glacier, signs for White Pass and the Trail of ’98, Miles Canyon on the Yukon River near Whitehorse in Canada, Robert Service Camp, a brief glimpse of the sternwheeler S.S. Tutshi, men waving in front of a Lockheed Electric airplane (NC14906), aerial views of landscapes, aerial views of Fairbanks and landing at Weeks Field, the Old Main building at the University of Alaska campus in Fairbanks, a car driving on railroad tracks, a sign for the golden spike along the Alaska Railroad near Nenana, Alaska Railroad Engine No. 1 on display, a White Pass and Yukon Route train, the entrance to Mt. McKinley National Park, a red tour bus in the park, black and white scenes of Alaska wildlife, a large placer mining operation with a dredge, a log cabin, men at work using hydraulic giants and steam points, a gold mining operation near the ocean, totem poles at Stanley Park in Vancouver in Canada, Alaska Native people and homes in Nome, fishermen unloading halibut from a boat (possibly at Prince Rupert in Canada according to Stevens's notes - he adds that the halibut heads were cut off and used for fertilizer), adults and children playing shuffleboard on a ship deck, a man playing accordion aboard the ship, and aerial views of landscapes including rivers and mountains.

: [Aleutians travel, Old Town Valdez]; The original film is unlabeled. The film contains scenes of ocean waves crashing against a rocky shore in the Aleutian Islands – likely Amchitka, a large abandoned building, a man with a sign that says “Amchitka forest,” a sea otter in ocean waves, otters playing in an enclosed pool, military buildings and Quonset huts, a man fishing, grave markers, a barbed wire fence, wrecked military airplanes, a large airplane hangar, a gun turret, a Reeve Aleutian Airways DC-6 airplane landing, aerial views of clouds and a volcano, grebes in water, a man with a string of fish, John Baker with a string of fish, a road sign for New Valdez and Old Valdez, homes and buildings in Old Valdez that were abandoned following the 1964 earthquake, Pioneer Hall, the oldest building, an old cable office, Hotel Valdez, an abandoned vehicle, old oil tanks along the shoreline, the wrecked boat “Gulf King,” Valdez sheet metal works, a Gilson’s sign, a church, a boy with a bicycle, and pickup truck driving out of town.

: [Anchorage, Seward, Hooper Bay, glaciers and skiing]; AAF-11873 is made up of ten smaller reels that have been combined. Reel 1 is labeled “Turnagain School” and contains exterior views of the Turnagain School building (during the mid-1950s or 1970s?). Reel 2 is labeled “1954 Downtown NCG and Lib and [GA?] Hill School etc., airplane in [inlet?].” It contains views of Anchorage area buildings and an airplane in the water. Reel 3 is labeled “Misc. Anchorage signs” and contains views of signs (circa 1970s?). Reel 4 is labeled “Train to Seward thru loop” and contains views of a train and from a train (circa 1950s?). Reel 5 is labeled “Hooper Bay” and contains exterior views of a building and people exiting the building (circa mid 1970s?). Reel 6 is labeled “Columbia Glacier by Air 50s” and contains scenes of glaciers (circa 1950s?). Reel 7 is labeled “Flying” and contains aerial views of water (circa?). Reel 8 is labeled “Flying looks like King Salmon?” and contains aerial scenes of water (circa late 1950 or 1970s?). Reel 9 is labeled “[Global?] cup at Alyeska” and contains scenes of skiers in a competition (circa late 1950s or 1970s?). Reel 10 is labeled “Nat’l Ski Racer” and contains views of skiers with bib numbers – original film was processed in April 1963. Notes from the nephew of Wally Wellenstein in 2015: “Please remember that Uncle Wally put together several small spools of film to make the reels. We think that Wally was trying to tell a story for his family back in Minnesota, rather than relate in chronological order his adventures. Some of the scenes are out of order, date wise. The bulk of his movies were of his adventures in Alaska. He also spent time recording the life of his sister Joan’s family."

: [Annabeth Hanlon collection 2]; Footage includes people panning for gold, a B-17 flying overhead, men cutting firewood with a truck-mounted saw in downtown Fairbanks, downtown buildings, Wien Alaska Airlines operations at Weeks Field, an airplane taking off, Jim Dodson's airplane, hangars on the field, fire, children ice skating, dog sled races on the Chena Rive, men launching a small barge, travel in an outboard motor-powered riverboat, the tug M.S. Otter of Fairbanks pushing a barge, a grouse on the road, men working on a cabin, a small boat being launched in a lake, men cutting ice for drinking water with a hand saw, a car pulling a sled with blocks of ice, a fire in a Fairbanks Laundry building, and a formation of military airplanes. Notes accompanying the film say: view of McKinley, Deadwood and Dr. Schiable, around Fairbanks, sawing wood, around 2nd Ave., Wien Airways & Jim in planes, old Pan Am, Dorothy's house, skating in Main School yard, my 8th, dog team races at end of 2nd, K9 team won, youngster falling down, Albas trip, grouse, McKinley, ducks, Hanlon, building at lake, kids, lake boat, Albert Martin, Bob Harwood, geese, cutting ice, Bud Shaw, (?), fire at laundry, Russian DC-3, P-63 to Russia led by B-25.

: [Hill family films]; This film reel is made up of 12 smaller reels of film. Reel 1 is labeled “Ivory Carving of Pt. Barrow” with postal markings on the box indicating a film processing date of 1949. It contains footage of men making ivory carvings, a dog, carvings on a shelf, and a sunset. Reel 2 is labeled “Skee pictures, Mexico fishing, seal” with postal markings on the box indicating a film processing date of 1949. It contains footage of people skiing, scenes from outside of Alaska, dogs, and people on boat. Reel 3 is labeled “Fish camps, good pictures of Bear Hill and cabin with picturesque” with markings on the box indicating an approximate film processing date of 1950. It contains footage of river travel, men at a cabin with a bear hide, and people with dog team. According to Cynthia Hill Reed in 2013, the bear-skinning scene occurs near Rampart and includes: Cynthia's grandmother, Mary Shanahan Hill; Cynthia's father, Jay G. Hill; Cynthia's uncle, Jack (John) Hill; and possibly Cynthia's grandfather, Rudy Hill. Reel 4 is labeled “Parachute Jump and Dog Races” with markings on the box indicating an approximate film processing date of 1950 to 1952. It contains footage of a parachute jump and dog races on the Chena River in Fairbanks. Reel 5 is labeled “Fairbanks, Our Big Bear, and Skiing” with markings on the box indicating a film processing date of approximately 1950. It contains footage of downtown Fairbanks, people skiing, and a ski lift. Reel 6 is labeled “Construction Polaris Building, Pregnant Betty, Melinda, Dogs and Cats, Betty Unpregnant coming home from [?] with Genneg[?]” with markings on the box indicating a film processing date of approximately 1952. It contains footage of the Polaris Building's construction in Fairbanks in 1952. According to Cynthia Hill Reed in 2013, the Polaris Building was built by her grandparents, Mary and Rudy Hill. Reel 7 is labeled “Native Dancers Fairbanks” with markings on the box indicating a film processing date of approximately 1954. It contains footage of Alaska Native dance scenes as filmed from bleachers. Reel 8 is labeled “Dog Races 1952 – Horace Smoke won with Kenja (leader) – Very Good – Terry” with markings on the box indicating a film processing date of approximately 1954. It contains footage of dog mushing and spectators. Reel 9 is labeled “Dog Races and Fair” with markings on the box indicating a film processing date of approximately 1955 or 1956. It contains footage of dog races. Reel 10 is labeled “Hospital – Johnny Mike – Summer Outing – Fishing Trip – Salmon" with markings on the box indicating a film processing date of approximately 1954 or 1955. It contains footage of family scenes and fishing. Reel 11 is labeled “Jax Mary and Rudy first film guy at SP with crane” with markings on the box indicating a film processing date of approximately 1956 or 1957. It contains footage of people posing and a crane at work. Reel 12 is labeled “Walt and Me in LA” and “Mary Hill Carmen - Very Good of Mary Terry” with markings on the box indicating a film processing date of approximately 1963. It contains footage of a crane at work, people posing, and a show with trained seals.

: [Juneau]; This film contains views of the Juneau area, including the harbor, homes and buildings, government buildings, boats, wildlife, and the Mendenhall Glacier (undated) (silent).

: [KFAR television news footage 2]; This footage features men and women being searched by police, a dog sled race, raised homes, people on a sternwheeler, a building with a sign that says "Bank Interior City Branch," aerial views of Alaska countryside, an airplane dropping some type of powder or smoke, people racing and having fun at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, a man preparing for an art exhibition, outdoor city scenes on a windy winter day, large lengths of pipe being loaded onto a truck, airplanes at rest, a man using a snowblower, a truck removing snow, children playing, views from inside Alaskaland, the sternwheeler Nenana, a Pan American airplane taxiing, a man exiting the airplane onto a red carpet, a small car traveling down railroad tracks, scenic views of mountains and rivers, a locomotive engine pulling a single car on train tracks, a bridge over a river, surveyors and construction equipment on a dirt road, a steel bridge spanning a large canyon in Alaska, views of Nenana, the military practicing with large guns, crops, views of Barrow, Alaska Natives processing meat, oil workers operating machinery, scenes from inside a very large airplane (including the cockpit), the Wien Consolidated Airlines building in Barrow, scenes from aboard a large ship named the Manhattan, a helicopter landing on the ship, construction equipment moving earth, men and women dining, views from the inside of a power plan (?), men pouring and smoothing concrete, and scenes from a Golden Days parade in Fairbanks.

: [KFAR television news footage 3]; Footage from in and around Fairbanks includes a downhill ski race at Cleary Summit ski area on Steese Highway, the Golden Valley Co-op building, the Arctic Bowl building, students making dog harnesses, a building on fire, an unidentified meeting, UAF scenes, reindeer in pens, Alaska Native Queen contestants, women preparing traditional foods, an unidentified man being interviewed, Midnight Sun 600 snowmachine race activities, and snowmachines being refueled and arriving at the Big Dipper in Fairbanks. Additional footage includes a helicopter flying around the Hurricane Bridge construction site on the George Parks Highway and scenes of a construction site. Additional Fairbanks footage includes snow removal around town, the B&B Center, the Market Basket, Nerlands appliances and its Christmas window display, Fairbanks City Police arresting an individual, a car wreck, City Police arresting a man, and more snow removel. Subsequent footage includes Alaska State Troopers stopping a car, a television studio, City Police arresting people during a raid (?) on a house, men loading drums of fuel into a Canadian military Caribou freight airplane, people unloading the airplane in Anaktuvuk village (?), UAF Rifle Team members practicing, dancers from Telons (?) on stage and touring the Riverboat Nenana and Alaskaland, the inside of a bank, shots of Fairbanks International Airport's interior, various bank buildings and activities, Yukon 800 boats on the Chena River, Yukon 800 winners with a trophy, and an Interior Airways Twin Otter airplane landing at a remote camp in the arctic and departing.

: [KTVF news stories, interviews, Kaktovik Post Office, Fairbanks schools]; Some segments of film contain a soundtrack, and others are silent. Specific dates and other information noted on the original film are given here in parentheses. The footage includes a man being interviewed about the city dump (August, 1972) (sound), a man being interviewed about his life in Barrow and about environmental aspects of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline (August 14, 1972) (sound), people cleaning up the fairgrounds and repairing buildings at the Tanana Valley Fairgrounds (August 14, 1972) (silent), a woman being interviewed at the University of Alaska Fairbanks about a leadership seminar, students in a classroom (August 15, 1972) (sound/silent), a man speaking to an audience (no date) (silent), people attending a Unimart conference and viewing Alaskan art and other items (August 15, 1972) (silent), scenes from the Tanana Valley Fair (August 14, 1972) (sound), men stepping off a airplane, military men talking to a man in civilian attire (title of segment is "Froehlke") (August 16, 1972) (silent), road construction (title of segment is "Big Bend") (August 18, 1972) (silent), exterior and interior views of the Whole Earth Exchange building in Fairbanks (August 19, 1972) (silent), the Pompeo Hall building, a man being interviewed about Assembly budget matters (August 21, 1972) (sound), a man meeting with a young couple near City Hall in downtown Fairbanks (title of segment is "Couples") (August 22, 1972) (silent), a man looking at a book (August 23, 1972) (silent), scenes from an International Arctic Aviation Conference (February 25, 1972) (sound), Golden Heart trophies being displayed on a table (August 23, 1972) (silent), new University of Alaska ambulance being demonstrated (August 24, 1972) (sound), the Kaktovik Post Office modular building being loaded onto an Interior Airways Hercules cargo airplane, Assistant Regional Postmaster General Russell E. James being interviewed (August 24, 1972) (sound), exterior and interior views of Fairbanks Main School, views of the building's deterioration (August 29, 1972) (sound), men signing documents (August 30, 1972) (silent), a church building's exterior, classroom scenes at Monroe School (August 30, 1972) (silent?), smoke in the distance (title of segment is "Grass Fire") (August 30, 1972) (silent), firefighters battling a house fire (title of segment is "Byrdsong Fire") (September 1, 1972) (silent), views of various Fairbanks hotels, a woman being interviewed about elderly residents being removed from hotels so that buildings can be torn down (September 2, 1972) (silent/sound), Central American oil facilties and workers (segment titled "Equador Oil") (September 2, 1972) (silent), a man being interviewed, a demonstration garden at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (September 2, 1972) (sound), bonfires [?] (no date) (sound), Lathrop High School, classroom scenes, buses, a man being interviewed about traffic concerns (September 6, 1972) (silent/sound), a man being interviewed about new weather service offices (September 7, 1972) (sound), Fairbanks fire department trucks (September 9, 1972) (silent), spectators watching firemen participate in various events at a firefighter competition (September 9, 1972) (silent), interior views of dorm rooms at the University of Alaska (September 11, 1972) (silent), people in an assembly, Mayor John Wright[?] of North Pole speaking, and the christening of a new building (title of segment is "North Pole Sewer and Water") (September 11, 1972) (silent).

: [KTVF news stories, Native Claims Settlement Act interviews, KUAC studio, Goldpanners, Boy Scouts, Tanana]; Some segments of film contain a soundtrack, and others are silent. Specific dates and other information noted on the original film are given here in parentheses. The film includes man-on-the-street interviews, men and women being interviewed at a shopping mall and at the Fairbanks Native Welcome Center about their thoughts on the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (no date) (sound), a story about KUAC-TV, the new educational television station at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, interviews with two station managers (no date) (sound), firefighters responding to a structure fire, construction equipment that was damaged in the blaze (no date or description) (silent), scenes from a Goldpanners baseball game (July 7, 1971) (silent), wildfire crews battling forest fires, a story about Fairbanks area wildfires (July 8, 1971) (sound), a wheelchair accessible van being demonstrated (July 8, 1971) (silent), scenes of a hospital's construction (July 8, 1971) (silent), a group of men waiting in a parking lot and inside a building (segment is titled "B-Menus") (July 16, 1971) (silent), Boy Scouts and leaders assembling for a photograph and then riding a train (July 24, 1971) (silent), the aftermath of a two-car collision (July 20, 1971) (silent), scenes from another Goldpanners baseball game (July 4, 1971) (silent), the Tanana Post Office, Northern Commercial Company buildings, views of the town of Tanana, Ted Stevens and other men in suits touring the area (no date or description) (silent), a Golden Days celebration, women dressed as dance hall girls, the Golden Days jail wagon, people in costume visiting Eielson Air Force Base (July 19, 1971) (sound), Don Dickey of the State Chamber of Commerce speaking in Fairbanks about the Native Claims Settlement Act and the pipeline (July 6, 1971) (sound), a structure damaged in a fire (no date or description) (silent), a story about flood damage due to the Tanana River along Richardson Highway (no date) (sound), and a man and woman in a pharmacy being interviewed about the substances used by children and teenagers to get high (no date) (sound).

: [KTVF television Alaskan news footage from 1976]; Footage includes a display of arctic equipment used by the U.S. Army (1/22/76), the exterior and interior of a building under construction during winter (1/22/76), a construction site for Bentley Mall (1/15/76), picketers in front of a BIA office (1/76), ash on snow by the M.U.S. power plant (1/76), crowds on Second Avenue (1976), prostitutes on Second Avenue (1976), soldiers and equipment during a "Jack Frost" military training exercise (1/22/76), a display of arctic equipment used by the U.S. Army, Alaska Native soldiers with snow machines during a "Jack Frost" training exercise, a gift being presented to an unidentified military officer and the officer speaking about the U.S. Army's role in Alaska (1/76), soldiers in the field during a "Jack Frost" exercise (1/76), teamster picketers in front of N.C. Machinery (1/76), a United Way banquet (1/22/76), utility workers working on a power pole, a National Weather Service office (1/76), a Boeing 747 that was damaged during landing at Fairbanks International Airport (2/76), buildings and refinery construction in North Pole (2/76), taxi cabs in downtown Fairbanks during winter (2/10/76), a man pointing out layers of ash in snow near the M.U.S. power plant and views of smoke from the plant (2/6/76), and University of Alaska buildings and students (2/18/76).

: [KTVF television news stories from Fairbanks between 1973 and 1977]; Footage includes road and building construction, winter parking and cars with motors idling, summer traffic and parking, corroded pipes, the Safeway parking lot on Third Avenue, the Chena River, Fairbanks Police investigating a crime scene with a taxi cab that is in the bushes near a road, miscellaneous houses and buildings, sled dog races at the Alaska Dog Mushers track on Farmers Loop Road, people watching the break-up of the Tanana River in Nenana, a sled dog race, a Jay Hammond interview (sound is distorted), the cast from the Gunsmoke series traveling on the Riverboat Discovery, men in a counseling office, students in a school, a view of the Penneys building and downtown Fairbanks, interior and exterior views of the Municipal Utilities System power-plant on First Avenue, residents of Hope Center going about daily activities, and Joe Kuykendall being interviewed about using challenged individuals in business.

: [KTVF television raw footage from 1976]; Footage includes a women's cross country race on the University of Alaska's West Ridge (9/4/76), Bentley Mall construction (10/14/76), Steese Expressway bridge construction (10/76), the closure of Nenana Highway at the College Road intersection (10/76), flowers at Creamer's Refuge (10/76), school children making puppets (10/76), buildings at the University (9/76), traffic and people on Second Avenue in Fairbanks (9/76), construction and traffic around Fairbanks (9/76), the Federal Building on Cushman Street (9/3/76), a North Pole Jr.-Sr. High School classrooms (11/76), Fairbanks buildings and street scenes (11/76), naturalized citizens waving flags (11/18/76), a military parachute drop at Ft. Wainwright (11/16/76), a woman operating a chemical analyzer (11/26/76), firefighters training at night (12/2/76), an Alaska Railroad crossing in Fairbanks (12/2/76), children at a Christmas play (12/76), University of Alaska instructors picketing (12/76), controls and boilers at the M.U.S. power plant (12/76), workers at the Fairbanks Rehabilitation Association (12/76), buildings and scenes at Ft. Wainwright (1976), a firefighter competition (1976), oil spill tests (1976), dead wolves being examined in a laboratory (1976), experiments in the UAF Arctic Health Building (1976), and the interior and exterior of the M.U.S. powerplant (8/18/76).

: [Lewis Gibson films 2]; AAF-13918 was filmed in 1964 and is labeled, “Earthquake Anchorage, Santa Claus House, and Liberty Campground.” The film contains scenes of the Matanuska Glacier, aftermath of the 1964 Alaska Earthquake in Anchorage, a damaged Mt. McKinley building, damaged homes and a damaged school, cracks in the ground, Alaska scenery and moose, a family camping and fishing, and the Santa Claus House in North Pole.

: [My Hometown – Fairbanks, Alaska]; This reel was made by combining two smaller reels. The original cans and reels are labeled: “Fairbanks U of A Exp.” and “Fairbanks High School.” Footage includes: a title screen reading “My Home Town Fairbanks Alaska;” a panoramic view of downtown Fairbanks, likely shot from the top of the Polaris Building, including views of the Cushman Street bridge, Samson’s Hardware, The Big I building, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, St. Joseph’s Hospital, the coal bunkers, Slaterville homes, Griffin Park ball field and ice rink, the Wendell Street bridge, downtown Fairbanks homes, the Northward Building, downtown Fairbanks looking south, the Wendell Street bridge again, and the buildings and power plant at Ladd Air Force Base (now Fort Wainwright); Fairbanks homes and flowers; the Travelers Inn sign and building; views of downtown from the Cushman Street bridge; the Fairbanks Golf and Country Club building, golfers, and archers with bows and arrows on the golf course; a downtown Fairbanks house in flames, Fairbanks Fire Department fighting the fire, and many people watching the large blaze; a large building; a person in a chef hat; children playing with a baby moose; cows at Creamer’s Dairy in Fairbanks; the University of Alaska sign and buildings, including the Geophysical Institute, Constitution Hall, campus housing, Wickersham Hall, the Brooks Building, Harriet Hess Hall, the Eielson Memorial Building, the Patty Gym, and others; more Fairbanks homes and yards; the Polaris Building and Northward Building in downtown Fairbanks; an Island Homes sign and homes and gardens; a sign for Vegetable Variety Trials (the experimental gardens at the university?), and a garden with cabbages, kohlrabi, rutabagas, corn, squash, lettuce, zucchini, peas, and grains; farm fields, people harvesting potatoes, men posing next to bags of potatoes, a man driving a tractor in a farm field, and more views of potato harvesting and fields; a summer parade in downtown Fairbanks with several marching bands; an airshow with people looking at military aircraft on display, military groups marching in formation, and military aircraft in flight; and scenes of downhill skiing.

: Outer Continental Shelf: elders 2 ; Barrow [Utqiagvik] visuals; This footage includes an interview with elders. Footage also includes views of Utqiagvik, a NSB building, an ASRC building, houses, Inupiat women, boats, and a laundry line.

: [Pipeline camps and Yukon River bridge construction and Haul Road link-up]; Footage includes aerial and ground views of the pipeyard in Fairbanks, construction at the Delta Camp, aerial and ground views of constuction of the Yukon River Bridge, heavy equipment working on the pipeline pad, workers carrying cross-country skis, an aerial view of a camp, a view of offices and a manager talking about construction (sound is very poor), damaged buildings in a camp, a pipeyard in Valdez, a tanker deck, Ted Lehne, views of pipe trucks in a pipeyard with 80-foot sections of pipe, Alyeska offices on Ft. Wainwright, aerial and ground views of the final north-south link-up of the Haul Road, a sign post at the link-up site, and trucks hauling pipe.

: [UAF campus views]; Footage includes students at the University of Alaska Fairbanks walking in front of the Elmer E. Rasmuson Library, the Wood Center, Wickersham Hall, and the Gruening Building.

: [Vince and Evelyn Guzzardi collection 3]; This film consists of two reels of 8mm film that have been combined onto one reel. Reel 1 is labeled “Lavery Fire” and contains a slip of paper inside the canister labeled “Lavery fire day & night.” This reel contains scenes of the 1959 Lavery Building fire at night and daytime scenes of downtown Fairbanks near Cushman Street and Second Avenue where the building once stood. Reel 2 is labeled “Aniak & Winter Carnival Parade,” and it contains aerial views of the Alaska landscape, scenes of an unidentified parade, cars racing around a dirt track, and sled dog races.

Alaska Film Archives

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