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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.

1 to 14 of 14 Objects
[Annabeth Hanlon collection 1]
[Annabeth Hanlon collection 1]
Footage includes a walking dragline and gold dredge in Ester, travel to Circle City, Indians in Circle showing parkas and furs, the sternwheeler Yukon arriving and passengers disembarking, buildings and scenes around Circle Hot Springs Resort, Eagle Summit, a brief view of the Miller House owners, children clearing snow from a skating rink, and various skating activities including racing and figure skating. Notes accompanying the original film can and box say "mining at Ester, Cripple Creek dragline, dredge, Dorothy Erin (?) go to Circle, Circle Indians, boat at Yukon, birds on road, Indian cemetery, Circle Springs, Miller House, Eagle Summit, Ada Williams, 1937 - Megan Florence and I go to Circle, school festival 1944"
[Annabeth Hanlon collection 2]
[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.
[Dick King collection]
[Dick King collection]
This footage includes a Cessna 140 C-140 taking off and landing from a river bed, men at a hunting camp by a campfire, a riverboat with duck hunters, a small airplane on floats taxiing, Bill Stroecker with a dog retrieving a duck, moving a house with a truck, construction of the Wien hangar at the Fairbanks International Airport, a young girl and boy playing, the chimney for the Wien hangar, an outboard motor-powered riverboat, a gold dredge operating, people watching a bucket train on a dredge , Bill Lavery with a whipsaw making lumber, a cabin, Bill Lavery in a plaid shirt and cap with unidentified men, men by a Cessna 170 C-170 airplane on ice with wheels, a truck moving a house, a man fly fishing, Bill Lavery working on a cabin, men with a riverboat loaded with a moose, Bill Stoecker in a rowboat loaded with a moose, a gold dredge, riverboat travel, a duck hunt with Bill Stroecker holding a duck, a lab retrieving a duck, Stoecker rowing a boat with a moose, a C-170 on ice, men whipsawing lumber, Bill Lavery in plaid, a lab retrieving ducks, children playing and being pulled on a sled by a dog in Island Homes (?). Activities on the North Slope during Dew Line construction include: a camp in winter, Caterpillars, a Wien C-47 airplane, aerial views of a LeTourneau Snow Train and a Cat train. Additional footage includes men unloading a Wien C-47, two riverboats on the Salcha River during freeze-up with ice running, ice skaters, crossing a frozen lake in a riverboat, unloading boats at a Salcha River landing , a truck hauling a disassembled C-47,a Wien Norseman on floats taxiing and taking off, children playing, a C-46 being repaired at Peters Lake, a herd of caribou, a Cat train on the North Slope, a short upside down segment of film with a fox, an Alaska Freight Lines Cat train on the North Slope with a Wien C-47, a Norseman and a Beaver on skis by a Cat train, dog races and an Ice Carnival parade in Fairbanks, a Wien C-47 on ice, a brief shot of a woman, men at a cabin and riverboat hunting, Bill Stroecker approaching with a duck, men unloading a Wien C-46, a moose, a 1 year old named Rebecca, men fishing in the ocean, children playing, a C-46 landing at a North Slope camp, people loading barrels into a C-46, an Alaska Freight Lines LeTourneau Snow Train, men loading a riverboat onto a trailer, Bill Stroecker fly fishing for grayling, a moose, a riverboat, float planes, a cabin on a river, cabins at Healy Lake (?), a man with a fish net, men hunting, a moose on a boats, Bill Stroecker holding a dead bird of prey, Bill Stroecker with a retriever, a string of ducks at a cabin, and a cabin on a river.
Fairbanks Yesterday Today Tomorrow
Fairbanks Yesterday Today Tomorrow
This program presents the history of Fairbanks from its geological formation through 1974. Credits are as follows: host, Dave Geesin; pre-history, Florence Weber; miner, Tim Ames; mining discussion, Dr. Earl Beistline and Bruce Thomas; readings, Mark Bergeson, Pamela Buckway and Tom Duncan; narration, Charles Creamer, Tom Duncan, Don Hering, Clara Rust and Marion Wood; director, Frank Herriott; Hering segment director, Myron Tisdel; producer, Patrick Moore; production assistant, Frank Henry; research, Kit Jensen; cinematography, Mark Badger; graphics, Nancy Van Veenen; audio, Tom Saxton; video, Dave Walstad and John Reisinger; production, Carolyn Dowling, Pat Fitzgerald, John Ryan, Jim Schneider and Pat Thrasher; photos provided by Mrs. V.K. Brickley, CamerAlaska, Fabian Carey, William Cashen, Florence Collins, Roger Cotting, Mary Hansen, Nelson’s Studio, University of Alaska, and United States Air Force; furnishings provided by Nerlands; parka provided by Martin Victor Furs; produced through the facilities of KUAC-TV and the Division of Media Services at University of Alaska.
[Family, Alaska, travel outside]
[Family, Alaska, travel outside]
This film reel is made up of 14 smaller reels. Reel 1 is labeled "Military unit, 1936 Carnival, family skiing," and it contains footage of ROTC formation marching and ice. Reel 2 is labeled "Children skiing, 1938 Carnival, First Air Mail," and it contains footage of skiing, the Winter Carnival, the Chena River, skiing, dog sleds, and an airplane. Reel 3 is labeled "Trip to Paxons July 1940, Kay catching salmon, Xmas scenes, Thelma in grass skirt, Thelma and I in blue uniform," and it contains footage as described in addition to children skating and skiing as well as hockey on the Chena River. Reel 4 contains footage of people dancing. Reel 5 contains footage of people outside with a camera. Reel 6 is labeled "My Last Days at Home, May and June 1942," and it contains footage of family scenes, boys in Boy Scout uniforms, boys tumbling, boys on bicycles, boys playing a ball game, a boy with a pack, more family scenes, and a man in a military uniform. Reel 7 is labeled "Matanuska Farm, Dawson's Film," and it contains footage of cows, sheep, family, an airplane, a lake, and mountains. Reel 8 is labeled "Ski meet Birch Hill, College, Russ, June 15, 1942, disposing of dynamite pwd, ski towing car, College Hill," "Thelma and I kissing," and "Skiing 1941." It contains footage of skiing, hockey, and a couple kissing. Reel 9 is labeled "Fishing, geese, Naknek, 1943," and it contains footage of fishing, people posing with fish, and river scenes. Reel 10 is labeled "Xmas 1946 at Vinton, Iowa," and it contains family scenes. Reel 11 is labeled "California, ferry Staten Island, ski trip Vermont, around Washington, 1947?," and it contains views of a ferry, people with skis, and Washington D.C. scenes. Reel 12 is labeled "Tok trip, Mary, buffalo, skiing, Cleary Summit," and it contains footage of a bison on the road and people skiing. Reel 13 is labeled "September 1949 to March 1950, Donn in football, skiing, hockey, 1950 Carnival, dogs and sled being parachuted, Toni, auto races," and it contains footage as described as well as a ski jump and blanket toss in Fairbanks. Reel 14 is labeled "Air Trip to States July 1953," and it contains footage of a station wagon and trailer, a "to Alaska" sign, aerial views of mountains, family scenes, and bears.
[Family and Alaska scenes]
[Family and Alaska scenes]
This film reel is made up of 13 smaller reels. Reel 1 is labeled "1933-1934 military unit [...] skiing, 2nd inspection [...], muskoxen," and it contains footage of a military ceremony, spring breakup, a car on railroad tracks, people at a train station, a family swimming and boating, and musk oxen. Reel 2 is labeled "Skiing military unit, skating, ice carnival, Kay in snow, Thelma and flag, 1934?," and it contains views of skiing, skating, hockey, sledding, a military unit skiing on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus, and a woman with a flag. Reel 3 is labeled "Kay and Donn about 1934" and "Children playing in snow May 10, children on skis, Donn's first skis, Donn in daddy's rubbers, boys in car trunk," and it contains footage of children playing as described. Reel 4 is labeled "Children on skis, January - February 1936," and it contains views of children skiing, a child with a toy wheelbarrow, children posing for the camera, and a man in uniform. Reel 5 is labeled "Boys and Salcha," and it contains views of men with a tripod, the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus [?], a truck and trailer, boys with a dog, and a dog pulling boys on a sled. Reel 6 is labeled "Eagle Summit, boys on garage roof, Carnival 1937," and it contains views of a family at Eagle Summit, boys skiing, boys playing on a roof, a dog sled, and parade scenes. Reel 7 is labeled "Trip to Circle Hot Springs August 1937," and it contains views of a family on a ferry or raft, children swimming and playing, small boats, cabins, and skiing. Reel 8 is labeled "Children, Burt, dragline, 1939" and "Steese Highway," and it contains footage of children ice skating and playing as well as dragline and mining scenes. Reel 9 is labeled "Conveyor, dragline walking, crane, bomber, turners, Cub Scouts," and it contains views of mining operations, an airplane, the Cushman Street bridge in Fairbanks, children racing, a potato sack race, a wheelbarrow race, mining scenes, and swimming scenes. Reel 10 is labeled "B-17, Rotary Field, meet, egg hunt, March - July 1941," and it contains aerial views, a parachute drop, and children playing. Reel 11 is labeled "Skiing 1944, Kay 1945?" and contains views of skiing. Reel 12 is a film negative and is labeled "Trip over Alaska Railroad from College Station 1935." The film is very dark. Reel 13 is a film negative and is labeled "Mogull Supersensitive Panchromatic 1939, Plymouth Massachussetts, Washington D.C., South Bend, Dr. Wier, O'Della [...], Mt. Rushmore." It contains footage of people swimming and boating, etc. (film is very dark).
[Family scenes, Alaska Highway travel]
[Family scenes, Alaska Highway travel]
Film contains footage of a little girl (aproximately 1 year old) at a birthday party with a cake and presents, a little girl playing with toys, a little boy's 3rd birthday party with children, cake, the child opening presents, a truck on a snowy road, scenic views of mountains and winter snowscape, a little girl about 2 years old, a man, woman, and child standing outside on the side of a road in winter, snowscapes viewed from a moving vehicle, snowy roadway viewed from a moving vehicle, winter landscapes, tall cabin at Whitehorse in Canada, sternwheeler riverboats on a shore at Whitehorse, cars racing around a snow track in the winter on the Chena River in Fairbanks, ice skaters performing for a crowd outside in winter on the Chena River in Fairbanks, views of Fairbanks businesses along river, views of the outside of a building, a man standing with a dog, scenic views of the landscape, ships on the water, a church with a Nativity scene in front, a bridge (not in Alaska), a woman and man standing outside of a brick home (not in Alaska), Pan American airplane at an airport, the mountains filmed from an airplane in flight, a man and a boy standing in snow in front of a truck, military vehicles along a snowy road, views from a truck driving down the Alaska Highway, and a truck at Whitehorse in Canada with sternwheeler riverboats on the shore in the background.
[Family travel and Alaska 1]
[Family travel and Alaska 1]
This film is made up of several smaller film reels labeled "1960 At Home, Diamond Mine [?], 707 Jet, Mike, Arkansas [?], back in Tex, [?] and Me, Plane at Post at Home," "Girls at Wisc Lake at Home [?] 1962," "At Home in Park 1964, Debbie and [?] 1962," "Parade 1964," "May 1964, Mike at Home, First Fishing, Ice and Snow, Pile Driver Slough," "Xmas 1965 and New Year 1966," "Fall 1966 Spring 1967, First Trip to Gulkana, Sourdough, Beautiful Scenes," and "At Home, Crappie, Dad and Shorty, Pat and the Kids, Swimming, June 7." The film contains a mix of footage from Alaska and travel outside Alaska, including family gatherings, airplanes, children fishing and playing, an Alaska parade, a man walking on an icy river, a public pool, and a beach.
[George Steck collection 08]
[George Steck collection 08]
This footage features scenes from the Big Dipper ice arena in March of 1969. It includes ice show performers and Olympic medal winner Jo Jo Starbuck.
[Gold mining, Alaska travel and activities 1]
[Gold mining, Alaska travel and activities 1]
Footage features a bulldozer caught in ice on the Chena River in downtown Fairbanks, a large Service Motor Company fire in downtown Fairbanks, mining activities, a man holding a large gold nugget, a bulldozer and dragline in operation at a large placer mine operation, men walking toward camp, a sluice, tailings piles, a bulldozer stuck in the Chena River after breaking through ice, people in parkas ice skating, a man photographing people on skates as well as a man ice fishing with a net, people weighing fish with a scale, Chena River and Cushman Street bridge, the railroad depot in Fairbanks, chained black bear cubs being fed, river views, people in a small boat and a man with a duck, a cow and pig, St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox church and graves in Eklutna, women feeding a baby moose with a milk bottle, a man in a small boat, a tent and campsite, a family at a camp or picnic, men and women posing by a Birch Lake sign, a woman outside of a log post office, placer mining operations, aerial views of a mine area, a man operating a dragline, and people posing near an airplane. Handwritten notes on the film boxes are as follows: “Service Motor.” “Tractor and Gold Mine.” “Alaska, trip to Palmer, grave house, baby moose, skating, Birch L. “Bert P[?].” “Trip to Ophir, [?] Barrow trip.”
[Lee family films 1]
[Lee family films 1]
AAF-16344 is from a film containing the following two notes: “Early film 1938 [??] Jean, Ingrid and Norman” and “Jean’s birthday 1947 party, 1948, 1949; Ingrid and Norm’s birthday; skiing with Guri, John, Arne and Margaret, Chena Slough; Enid[?] and Arne at Lost Lake.” The film contains scenes of the Lee family, the Richardson Monument, a family having a picnic, a woman wearing traditional Scandinavian clothing in Alaska, a girl sitting on an ice carnival throne, a girl riding a tricycle a sidewalk in Fairbanks, women with skis, people around a campfire in winter, dog mushers on the Chena River in Fairbanks, Cushman Street Bridge, the winter carnival throne, people downhill skiing and some falling, people cross country skiing, men walking through woods and at cabin, men filling a car with gas using a gas can, Fairbanks homes in winter and in ice fog, dog mushing, a family around a dinner table in a home, a family celebrating Christmas and opening presents, children racing on ice skates around an outdoor rink in Fairbanks, children figure skating, Cushman Street Bridge with United States and Canada flags, and a view down Second Avenue in Fairbanks during winter.
[Lee family films 3]
[Lee family films 3]
AAF-16346 is from a film containing the following note: “Jean, Ingrid and Norm at 18 Mile, Bob and Charlotte, Carl Elken[?] Matanuska, Ron and Norm Davidson Ditch, Harding Lake, dressed up for Easter, Jean in [??] parade, birthday Ingrid and Norman, reindeer [??] at university, Jean’s birthday party, Christmas at Arne’s home, Ingrid and Norm learning to ski, beaver swimming.” The film contains scenes of family activities and travel around Alaska, children walking on railroad tracks, the Cushman Street Bridge in Fairbanks, people hiking and climbing on tors formations, children swimming at Harding Lake, a family in a boat, children playing on snow piles, children racing on ice skates, a boy dressed like a cowboy, children dressed up and posing for the camera, a girl in traditional Scandinavian clothing, a summer parade in Fairbanks, a Pioneers of Alaska float and other floats in the parade, a birthday celebration, a family riding on a sled pulled by reindeer, Christmas celebrations, and children on skis.
[Lou and Ruth McCoy collection 2]
[Lou and Ruth McCoy collection 2]
Footage includes images of ALCAN travel in 1946 (?) and the 1946 Fairbanks Ice Carnival.
[Sled dog races, family, Fairbanks and college scenes]
[Sled dog races, family, Fairbanks and college scenes]
This film reel is made up of 5 smaller reels. Reel 1 is labeled "Dog Races," and it contains views of sled dog races on the Chena River, Cushman Street bridge, Samson's Hardware, a title frame reading "Dog Derby Fairbanks Alaska Feb 18, 1934," mushers and dog teams starting and finishing on the Chena River, the king and queen of the Winter Carnival, a horse on a bridge, a ski jump on a river, ice skaters racing, skiers, a hockey game, and sled dog races. Reel 2 is labeled "Huber Children," and it contains footage of a woman with children, a nurse carrying a baby to a car parked in front of a hospital, babies at home being bathed, children playing outside with a dog and sled, children watching ice go out on the Chena River, Catholic Church and St. Joseph's Hospital, children playing, children opening presents at Christmas, and a father reading a book to boys. Reel 3 is labeled "Dawson, Fishing Trip, Summit Lake, Family Swimming Harding, Musk Oxen, Yak, Scouts, Thelma Making Coed Commanders Cap and Scarf, Boys Skiing, Carnival, Dog Teams, Skiing," and it contains footage of road travel, Rapids Hunting Lodge, Black Rapids Glacier and Summit Lake on Richardson Highway, Howard Hughes landing a Lockheed Super Electra airplane at Weeks Field in 1938, a family swimming, musk oxen in a pasture at Alaska Agricultural College (University of Alaska Fairbanks), loading a musk ox into a crate, loading the crated musk ox onto a railroad box car and the train departing, people boarding an Alaska Railroad train, herds of caribou, Yaks at UAF, Dall Sheep and a man with Dall Sheep, caribou or reindeer at UAF, musk oxen, Christmas scenes, skiing, a train, a woman in uniform, skiing at Birch Hill, sled dogs, a Boy Scout float in the Ice Carnival Parade, and ski-jumping at UAF. Reel 4 is labeled "College Scenes," and it contains the title frame "Farthest North College," views of ROTC students marching with rifles on the UAF campus, people skiing, people skijoring on skis being pulled by cars, a student picnic during spring, ROTC marching and a crowd at the ground-breaking ceremony for the Eielson Memorial Building at UAF, a brawl and student initiation, a Starvation Gulch bonfire, a ROTC formation including the marching band, the Winter Carnival parade, children with dog sleds, and skijoring on the Chena River in downtown Fairbanks. Reel 5 is labeled "Alaskan Game, Seal, Fox, Caribou, Buffalo, Moose," and it contains views of seals on rocks, foxes playing, herds of caribou, a herd of bison, and a bull moose.