Alaska Film Archives | Archive

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.

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: [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 Airlines Lockheed Starliner aircraft]; The donor’s original number and title for AAF-20723 are: “RM 16. Alaska Airlines, Connie OTZ, Cooper Ldg, Sheep.” This film features an Alaska Airlines Lockheed Starliner with "Fly Alaska" on its side (N7316C) landing and taxiing on a snowy runway at Kotzebue in northwest Alaska, an Alaska Airlines ramp agent directing the aircraft on the ground, passengers walking toward and boarding the airplane, and views of sheep on a hill. Note that the Starliner developed out of the Lockheed Super Constellation with the Starliner having a redesigned wing and more powerful engines.

: [Alaska Native celebrations]; This film contains scenes of different groups of Alaska Native peoples drumming and dancing in Southeast and Northern Alaska, people sharing and eating muktuk (whale) at a celebration in Northern Alaska, and a blanket toss in Northern Alaska (possibly Barrow).

: Alaska, The Great Land; Footage includes historic photos, a gold dredge, an oil drill rig, a coal mine, a gravel conveyor, Matanuska Valley farms, salmon king crab and halibut fisheries, a pulp mill, Wien aircraft, Native dancers, and scenery. Footage of towns and cities include Wrangell, Petersburg, Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau, Fairbanks, University of Alaska campus, Point Barrow, Kotzebue, Nome, Prince William Sound, Valdez, Seward, Kenai, and Anchorage. Earthquake footage includes scenes from Anchorage and Seward. Towns shown following the earthquake include Anchorage, Whittier, Valdez, Seward, and Kodiak. During the program, Governor Egan speaks and accounts of the earthquake are told by survivors.

: [Alaska travel, Healy, Valdez, Gulkana, Ski Boot Hill, travel outside 1]; This film is made up of several smaller reels labeled: "Raft Race and Rodeo," "August 1967, Mom and Dad Arriving, Valdez Trip, Floods, [?] House," "Raft Race," "Raft Race," "Wisc Kids 1966," "Wisc Kids #2," "Ferry to Whittier 1972," and "Square Dance 1973." The film contains footage of a raft race on the Tanana River near Fairbanks, a rodeo, Wien airplanes at an airport, Valdez area waterfalls, a man and boy holding fish and standing near a camper, flooded homes in a neighborhood, North Star Borough School buses, family scenes outside Alaska, scenes viewed from the deck of a ferry, and people square-dancing.

: An American Senator; Contains footage from Senator Ernest Gruening's visit to Turkey. Original notes accompanying film contain the following scene descriptions: "1) Senator is met by Deputy Governor at Eskisehir Border. 2) Senator enters the Province Building. 3) Senator meets the Governor of Eskisehir and talks with him. 4) Departure from the Province Building. 5) Senator receives information on the statue in front of the Province Building. 6) Senator visits the Air Forces Commandership in Eskisehir. 7) Senator visits the Turkish Railway shops in Eskisehir. 8) Senator meets the students at the Eskisehir shops. 9) Senator rides on Devrim Car (first Turkish manufactured car). 10) Senator visits Eskisehir Forest Nursery. 11) Senator visits Iron Industrialists Association in Eskisehir. 12) Senator lunches at Liman Restaurant in Istanbul. 13) Senator, his wife and AID Deputy Director. 14) AID Deputy Director's speech. 15) Senator delivers a speech. 16) Director of Education delivers a speech. 17) The guests listen [to] the speeches. 18) Turkish teachers who participated in course in the United States receive certificates. 19) Senator visits the warehouses constructed by US AID."

: [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."

: [Baby eating muktuk]; This film contains footage of the Benson family, children playing outside in summer, and a baby in a high chair eating muktuk.

: [Bird dogs, parade, earthquake damage, winter scenery, coastal views]; This reel is made from three smaller reels of film. The original cans are labeled: “Retrieve[?]; Log house[?]; earthquake, Fraiser Canyon, ferry, Alcan.” Footage includes dogs receiving retrieval training and perhaps being judged at a competition, the 1962 Golden Days Parade in Fairbanks, bridge construction at an unknown location, Astoria Column in Astoria Oregon, a Sitka spruce sign on the end of a large log, a large log building and a train display, waves along a beach, a sign for the end of the Lewis and Clark trail, waterfowl, a steam engine train display and other equipment at a museum, Anchorage buildings and homes showing severe damage from the 1964 earthquake, a sign that says "I knew it was tough to make a living in Alaska but I didn't think we'd go 'in the hole' this bad!,” mountains in winter, a car with a flat tire on an icy road, a tire being changed, a man dip netting for small fish, a coastal town and harbor, and scenes from aboard ferry.

: [Campaign footage from 1962]; This is a series of film clips used for a 1962 campaign film for U.S. Senator Ernest Gruening. According to notes accompanying the film clips, scenes include Senator Gruening at a Democratic meeting in Tok, speaking with tourists from Colorado at the Alaska Tourist Center in Tok, at the Cathedral Bluff Lodge, at the Dot Lake Lodge and Indian Village, helping to dig a well at the Dot Lake Native Village, looking at wildflower beds at the George Lake Lodge, and with children at the library in Delta.

: [Caribou herds and Teller, Alaska]; First approximately eleven minutes of film contain various scenes of a large herd of caribou and Denali (Mt. McKinley). Remaining portion of film contains snowy scenes in Teller, Alaska, including a polar bear hide being offloaded from an airplane while people watch, woman and four children posing for camera (identified in 2022 as Rachael Otoyuk of Teller, Alaska, standing on the far right in a red kuspuk, with her children from left to right, Virginia Menadelook, Sam, Richard and Daniel), two boys demonstrating traditional Alaska Native dance (identified in 2022 as Marvin Okleasik at left in dark coat, and brother John Okleasik in light blue coat), woman in scarf (identified in 2022 as Theresa Soolook from Teller) hugging small baby, woman with tattooed chin and large fur ruff on her parka hood (identified in 2022 as possibly Ruby Gaugryya Singyke Cronin), man and woman wearing parkas with fur ruffs (identified in 2022 as likely John and Asicksik Kakaruk), boys demonstrating Alaska Native dance, aerial view of reindeer or caribou herd, dog sleds approaching herd, and men butchering a reindeer or caribou on the tundra. 2022 identifications were made by people from the Teller area via a historical social media site.

: [Chalkyitsik films - part 1 of 2]; These notes are from Jennifer Jolis of Fairbanks and UAF Prof. Stanley Edwin of Fort Yukon, who viewed this film in the Alaska Film Archives offices at the Rasmuson Library, UAF, on November 21, 2017. Jolis was a VISTA volunteer and Edwin was a 6-year-old growing up in Chalkyitsik, Alaska, during 1966-1967, when Jolis and others shot these films. AAF-13933 begins with images taken in January 1967 by Jolis’ father (Bernard Jolis) and sister (Gillian Jolis), who visited Chalkyitsik; father and sister snowshoe in front of Isaac and Sally Henry’s cabin; Bill Fredson on snowshoes; snowmachine; muskrat trapping; mushing; scenes from Wien or Wright Airlines flight from Fairbanks to Fort Yukon to Chalkyitsik; first snowmachine in town belonged to Edison Peter; Jolis’ house belonged to the Episcopal Church; group of cabins includes homes of Mimi and William Salmon, Ben and Julia Thomas, Mary Thompson, Belle Herbert, Charlie and Sharon Thomas, Paul Thomas, and the Community Hall; caches belong to the Salmon Family; Jolis’ father and sister, and Bill Fredson; owl on pole erected for radio reception; two unidentified children; breakup of the Draanjik or Black River; Stanley Edwin as a child; Eagle-the-dog who was originally from the town of Eagle; Community Hall; Johnny Edwin standing to left of dog; Spring Carnival; Sam Herbert; teacher Marianne Nicholson in red coat; Simon Francis Jr. in center; Johnny Edwin standing to left of person wearing bib #5; Sam Herbert standing in center under banner; Ladies’ snowshoe race during Spring Carnival; Sam Herbert in parka on left; Bill Fredson in group; elders Henry and Sarah Williams on left; David Salmon’s wife in red skirt; Patty Salmon in white coat and checked scarf, on right; Woody Salmon standing next to Patty Salmon; Patty Salmon’s face; Abraham Henry behind sled with parka; Johnny Edwin; Sam Herbert in overalls; moose in boat; hunting scenes were maybe filmed by Bill Fredson in fall 1966; Sam Herbert in bow of boat; and also in boat are Paul Herbert, Johnny Edwin, and Woody Salmon.

: [Chalkyitsik films - part 2 of 2]; These notes are from Jennifer Jolis of Fairbanks and UAF Prof. Stanley Edwin of Fort Yukon, who viewed this film in the Alaska Film Archives offices at the Rasmuson Library, UAF, on November 21, 2017. Jolis was a VISTA volunteer and Edwin was a 6-year-old growing up in Chalkyitsik, Alaska, during 1966-1967, when Jolis and others shot these films. AAF-13934 contains scenes of Eagle-the-dog; slough where fall fishing and ice fishing happened; Bobby Moses as a boy; Alice and Carl Moses cutting moose; Marianne Nicholson; Patty Salmon in canvas-covered canoe; summer of 1966 scenes; cabins with poles sticking up for radio reception; cabins; greenhouse and the old school, which was replaced in 1967 because of flooding; Bob Mott’s barge; Fort Yukon boat; Bill Fredson changing stovepipe; children playing on oil barrels include Stanley Edwin, Darryl Salmon, Robert Moses, Paul Edwin, and Agnes Herbert (wearing a scarf); unknown boy on swing; girl on swing is Isabelle Salmon wearing red; Bill Fredson with hand over face; scenes from flying over Chalkyitsik – possibly in Wien airplane – when Jolis was first arriving in 1966; fall time of year; Red Bluff, so called because of the reddish color of the soil; Johnny Edwin and possibly Woody Salmon in plaid shirt (maybe Paul Herbert shot this portion of the film); and Bill Fredson at lake.

: [Chuck Gray film collection]; This film includes footage of Seward, aerial views of Seward, and Anchorage following the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake. Additional footage includes Alaska Dog Mushers dogsled races at the Fairbanks track on Farmers Loop Road, dogsled races with Le Mans style start, dogsled slalom race, a snowshoe softball game, the 1966 Golden Days Parade including Charlie Creamer driving a car and George Clayton with his old truck. Final images feature people on rides at the Golden Days Midway.

: [Dawson, 1964 Good Friday earthquake aftermath, Kodiak]; Footage contains images taken during a trip to Dawson City in Yukon Territory, a Texaco station in Anchorage, people loading of camper, travel along Glenn Highway, highway signs, map showing the route to Dawson City, litter, a woman and a dog, signs at Gakona, signs and buildings at Tok, Forty Mile Roadhouse, Taylor Highway road sign, scenery along Taylor Highway, the Alaska - Canada border, buildings and old mining equipment in Dawson, a woman with a rocker box, a Klondike River bridge, and a sternwheeler deck. Images filmed in Anchorage and along the Seward Highway following the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake include damaged buildings in downtown, damaged houses in Turnagain, a Caterpillar clearing snow, policemen nearing a truck, a business block with buildings below street level, downtown traffic, a loader working on a street, a collapsed airport tower, a funny sign on building, a power line repair crew, law offices, West High School damage, trailers with relief offices, workers replacing bricks, fire trucks, a snow avalanche along Seward Highway, and a power shovel loading rail cars. Images at Kodiak from 1964 include filmmaker Victor Rovier talking with a man on horseback, the waterfront, fishing boats, a petroleum tank farm, a Russian Orthodox Church, downtown buildings, houses, Alaska State Ferry Tustemena arriving, cars being loaded onto a ferry, a motor home being unloaded, a float plane landing and being tied up, aerial views of Kodiak, people at the King Crab Festival, and the dome on a Russian Orthodox Church.

: [Dog sled races]; This film contains footage of people with a dog team, the start of a dog sled race, a dog team on a trail, a dog team on a city street, the North American Championship races, scenes along a trail, an interview with a musher, a children's game, a small parade, a blanket toss, and a trophy ceremony.

: [Eyth Family collection films 1]; This film contains images of family Christmas scenes, children on a swing set in winter, children dressed up and with a kitten in an Easter basket, a family in a boat, a moose in a river, an amusement park, a moose, children in a boat on a river bank, and children playing in water with a cabin in the background.

: [Eyth Family collection films 2]; This film contains scenes featuring people posing and getting into a small airplane, a small framed cabin, a log cabin, boats on a river, women and a cabin, cabins and caches along a river, a family at a cabin, many people in a boat, a moose in a river, and mountains as seen from a river.

: [Eyth Family collection films 3]; This film contains aerial views of mountains as seen from a small airplane as well as scenes featuring men talking, homemade rafts on a river, moose, children playing in a river, mountains and a glacier, waterfalls, ice, and seals.

: [Eyth Family collection films 4]; This film contains scenes from the 1967 flood in Fairbanks including flooded streets and homes, a bridge, cars under water, people in a yard, a military truck driving through water with a truckload of people evacuating the flood, people on top of George’s Supermarket sign, and people on the roof of Traveler’s Inn.

: [Eyth Family collection films 5]; This film contains scenes of a family during Christmas time, children playing outside in snow, and family scenes during Fourth of July celebrations.

: [Eyth Family collection films 6]; AAF-13879 contains scenes of a house and buildings in winter. AAF-13880 contains scenes of a house and buildings in winter. AAF-13881 and AAF-13882 contains family Christmas scenes. AAF-13883 contains scenes of men packing game meat onto a small boat. AAF-13884 contains scenes of a woman and children with a baby skunk. AAF-13885 contains scenes of the Valdez harbor, moose, and cabins. AAF-13886 contains scenes of men loading game meat onto a boat and small cabins in winter.

: [Eyth Family collection films 7]; AAF-13887 contains scenes of a family Christmas, a moose, and a glacier. AAF-13888 contains scenes of deep snow. AAF-13889 -- AAF-13894 contain scenes of a glacier face, a Bridal Veil falls sign, Fourth of July celebrations, a family camping, a river and fishing (poor exposure on original film), a family Christmas, and a camper and boat.

: [Fairbanks 1960s]; This film contains views of Fairbanks in the early 1960s, including cars driving through thick ice fog downtown, muddy neighborhood roads during spring break-up, the sternwheeler “Nenana” parked along the Chena River prior to its restoration and move to Alaskaland, and a bulldozer clearing snowy land.

: [Fairbanks sled dog races and baseball, 1969 North Slope exploration and Haul Road construction- part 1]; This film contains scenes of sled dog races (possibly near Anchorage) as well as Fairbanks area sled dog races and amateur baseball.

: [Fairbanks sled dog races and baseball, 1969 North Slope exploration and Haul Road construction- part 2]; This film contains on-the-ground and aerial views of Alaska's North Slope and the future Haul Road corridor, caribou running, a man with a small net standing next to a stream, caribou near bluffs, Sagwon Lodge, a braided river, a camp and tower (drill rig?), bears, wolves, caribou, sheep, rivers, mountains, men pulling a net from a stream, men fly fishing, bear tracks, a small airplane near a camp, moose, a man with a fish net, a bear, views from a boat in the river, cabins along the river, jumpy aerial views of the Fairbanks area including Creamer's Dairy and a mining operation, aerial views of road construction crews at work and trees being cleared north of Fairbanks along the Haul Road (Dalton Highway) corridor between Livengood and the Yukon River, men fishing from a boat, and Bridal Veil falls near Valdez.

: 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 activities]; This film contains images of a family gathering at Christmastime, a boy and dog playing, a dead wolf, a mining operation, an airport, children dressed as cowboys, travel scenes outside Alaska, a parade outside Alaska, and the Hoover Dam.

: [Family activities, Circle Hot Springs]; This film contains footage of a little girl walking with help from woman, a woman holding a baby in her lap, a man holding a baby in his lap, a small child walking, a small child in a chair playing with toys, a small girl in a winter coat walking indoors, a small child playing with toys and a table, a 1st Birthday party, a child in a rocking chair, an airplane taking off over water, a scenic view of mountains, a group of people outside (possibly a picnic), children walking on a lawn, the Santa Claus House in North Pole, people lighting a wooden structure on fire and then driving through it with cars and bikes (possibly a stunt show?), an airplane (Boeing B-47 Stratojet) flying overhead, a woman with a very small baby, a horse-drawn wagon, Circle Hot Springs Hotel and gardens, a bridge with driftwood caught against it, mining operations, a dragline and conveyor at work in mining operations, two well dressed women walking outside, two children opening presents, two children playing with toys, a Christmas tree, views of the inside of a house decorated for Christmas with Christmas cards on the wall, a soft water company's storefront, a large group of elementary age children digging in dirt or sand, a large group of elementary age kids playing on a playground and sliding down a slide, children riding ponies, children on a spinning amusement park ride (airplanes suspended by cables), boats moving fast on the water, people at a formal sit-down dinner, a group of people posing for a group photograph, a woman walking around outside with a baby, a parade outside Alaska in the summer that includes a marching band and small cars and parade floats, a child's 2nd birthday party with lots of small children in attendance, a child opening presents, a birthday cake with two candles, children reading books while sitting together on a couch, children playing with each other indoors, and a little girl spinning around for the camera.

: [Family activities, scenes inside and outside Alaska]; This film contains footage of two women standing outside of an Aeronca Sedan airplane in the snow, women washing a car, a wildfire, two women standing in front of a house with a small dog, a group of boys putting on heavy backpacks being handed to them out of the back of a truck, airplanes on floats on a lake, people water skiing on a lake, children playing next to a lake, a Christmas tree and Christmas presents, people opening Christmas presents, Spooks' Nook at Chitina, a waterfall, views of the mountains, children playing in the snow, a family gathering with a baby in a long (baptismal?) gown, children playing on a swings, a small child looking at a baby in a woman's arms, a Christmas tree, people opening Christmas presents, a child playing with a toy horse, a baby looking at toys, a parade outside Alaska with large floats, horse drawn carriages, motorcycles, old cars, a marching band, a person driving a tractor in a film superimposed over footage of a baby walking, footage of a family gathering, people posing for photographs superimposed over footage of a child walking on grass, men on horses herding cattle (likely not in Alaska), women standing in front of a car with a dog, children playing outdoors, people sitting on the grass, the sternwheeler Riverboat Nenana in Fairbanks, men in a boat on the water, and men next to a river and swimming in the river, a small child playing in the snow, and a family picnic outdoors.

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