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 pipeline report; This film was produced to chronicle construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. This copy was made for broadcast in Portland, Oregon. Ted Lehne introduces segments narrated by reporters Terry Foster and Richard Fineberg. People interviewed include Rod Higgins (supervisor of construction at Pump Station 8), Ken Rither (mayor of North Pole), Jerry Storey (Principal of the Delta School), and Delta businessman Bob Cramer. Footage includes pipeline construction, VSM construction, pump station construction, and buildings in Delta Junction.

: [1971 Fairbanks news stories]; This film contains news stories from 1971. Footage and stories include Larry Holmstrom interviewing tourists in a motorhome caravan and at Norlite Campground. Larry Carpenter presents a story on Manley Hot Springs that aired in July 1971. Footage includes the springs, the town, and several residents. Residents identified include Gus Benson, Bob Lee, and Bob "Whitey" Yule. Additional footage includes a report on a water project in Hamilton Acres in Fairbanks, a story about life in Mekoryuk village on Nunivak Island, and adult bicycle riding in Fairbanks in September 1971. People identified in the bicycle story include C.B. Bettisworth, Carol Bettisworth, Alexander Bettisworth, Amy Bettisworth, Andy Kleinfleld, Dr. William James, Geraldine James, Adam James, John James, and Mrs. James.

: [1971 KTVF news stories]; Some segments of film contain audio, and others are silent. Specific dates and other information noted on the original film are given here in parentheses. Footage includes a man speaking to a large gathering of people (undated) (silent), a student named Michael being interviewed about being expelled from school because of his refusal to cut his hair (story titled "Breeze") (1971) (sound), a man working with a radio antenna, men looking at an Alaska map, a man describing the Geophysical Institute's Biomedical Program and explaining how medical aid stations in Alaska villages can get medical information over the radio network (December 6, 1971) (sound), a story about Eneput Children's Center, women cooking, children playing (December 4, 1971) (sound), a man being interviewed about construction delays at the new Yak Estates Apartments in Fairbanks (December 7, 1971) (sound), students standing outside on a cold day, Nanooks basketball game scenes (1971) (silent), a man being interviewed about an Alaska Supreme Court Case involving charges of incompetence and immorality against a school principal (undated) (sound), children posing in a Nativity scene at First Baptist Church (1971) (sound), a story about a new training program for carpenters and journeymen (undated) (sound), men in a meeting (undated) (silent), statuettes of a gold panner being handed out at a ceremony, a story about an Alaskaland celebration (undated) (sound), children lining up to see Santa at Alaskaland Civic Center (undated) (sound), a man being interviewed about a court case involving charges against a school principal (undated) (sound), men being interviewed about police training, Lathrop High School students being interviewed about a student trooper program (1971) (sound), people in a meeting (1971) (silent), a man being interviewed about MUS Power Plant operations as men work at a coal chute and control panel (undated) (sound), people decorating a Christmas tree, men working on the pipeline, the BP building, and a cook making a meal menu (story titled "Arctic Christmas") (undated) (silent).

: [1971 Midnight Sun 600]; Footage includes mechanics (likely in Fairbanks) preparing snowmachines for Midnight Sun 600 racing, Brian Willner cleaning a snowmachine, motorhomes and support vehicles with snowmachine trailers (likely leaving Fairbanks for Anchorage), the distribution of race bibs in an auditorium in Anchorage, racers at the start line in Anchorage, Bob Hamme in a red helmet, crews picking up broken-down machines along the highway, a wrecked truck in a ditch, mechanics welding skis and rebuilding snowmachines in a shop (and possibly doing overnight repairs in Glennallen or Tok), snowmachines and racers at the start line for second-day start (possibly in Glennallen or Tok), individual racers heading out, racers on the highway, and racers returning to the finish area.

: [1974 Festival of Native Arts, Tanacross and Northway dancers, storyteller Poldine Carlo]; A group of dancers from Northway and Tanacross demonstrates various Alaska Native dances onstage at the Festival of Native Arts. A man introduces two dancers, Bessie Barnabas and Eva Moffitt of the Salcha people, who are also dancing with the group. The other dancers are introduced (names are difficult to hear), and dancing continues. A man from Nenana introduces Poldine Carlo, who welcomes everyone to Fairbanks and then tells an Athabascan story once told to her by Jennie Huntington of Koyukuk. A woman is interviewed about her techniques for making birch bark baskets. A man is interviewed about his relief wood carvings. Jim Johnson of Tanana is interviewed about a miniature fishwheel and about his hand-built snowshoes and sleds. A man invites the audience to join dancers onstage, and many people dance. The audio on the original videotape cuts out briefly in a couple sections at the end.

: [1974 North American Sled Dog Championships]; The film can is labeled “29th Annual North American 1974,” and the film contains footage of sled dog racing.

: [1975 Fairbanks winter scenes]; Footage features small houses in Fairbanks during winter, cars idling along streets in ice fog, a man pointing out exhaust system modifications designed to decrease emissions, downtown Fairbanks with ice fog during a dark afternoon, and a model and artist's concept of the Noel Wien library.

: [1977 Yukon 800 - 2]; This footage was filmed prior to and during the Yukon 800 riverboat race. Footage includes boats and spectators at Pike's Landing on the Chena River, racer Moe Samuelson being interviewed about boat construction and the race while showing different parts of his race boat (Slo-Mo's Kayak II) to reporter Ann Handley, spectators waiting for boats in Galena, boats arriving in Galena on 6/25/77, aerial views of the Tanana River, spectators in Tanana watching boats pass by, spectators and race boats at Pike's Landing on the Chena River, the airport and spectators in Tanana (?), Jim Movius crossing the finish line in the winning boat, and Jim Movius being interviewed about the race by reporter Chuck Benson.

: [1977 Yukon 800]; Footage includes aerial views of Yukon 800 riverboats starting on the Chena River in Fairbanks, aerial shots of boats racing along the river, Jim Movius being interviewed by Ted Lehne in Galena, the re-start of the race in Galena, and aerial views of Pike's Landing and boats at the finish line.

: [AMOCO-Navarin operations]; The filmmaker's original labeling scheme has AAF-20,000 numbered as Bacon 102-1 and titled "AMOCO-Navarin Operations: WP [workprint]-400 feet." It contains footage of men boarding a Boeing 234 Chinook helicopter, the helicopter taking off and then landing at an oil rig or platform in the ocean, a sign that says "Ocean Odyssey," a man in a small control room, drilling operations and men at work aboard an oil rig, a satellite dish and control room, a man being interviewed, more scenes aboard the oil rig, a cargo ship and a sign reading "Maersk Serangoon," a man with binoculars, a pipe and cargo aboard a ship?, a helicopter landing at an airport, and men disembarking from the helicopter. Reed Bovee interviewed filmmaker Bill Bacon in 2010, and the following information about these films is based on Bovee's notes from that interview: "Box 102 - 1 Reel - Film Bill did for AMOCO Oil. They had a contract. Also, they had a lease for fifty miles off of Anwar [ANWR] on the border of Canada and the United States and they wanted a film of the whole operation."

: [Aerial view of pipeline construction]; Footage includes aerial views of Fairbanks, the pipeyard, pipeline construction, sections of pipeline arranged along the roadside, trucking on the Haul Road, and North Star terminals.

: [Alaska flying in winter and summer]; The original film is labeled “Winter storm, wind storm with Champion, have on video.” The film contains scenes of driving along a snowy road in winter, caribou along the roadside, John Baker gassing up an Aeronca Champion airplane on skis, an airplane taking off, an airplane at a remote location, a man removing wing covers and hand propping the airplane, Queenie the dog going into the airplane, an airplane on skis taking off from a remote strip, a truck crossing a narrow bridge across a river, caribou, aerial views of the landscape, Queenie with a pack, John Baker brushing away a horde of mosquitoes, a bulldozer digging a trench, many airplanes around a lake, construction crews, aerial views of Anchorage, men hunting, and a small tracked vehicle.

: [Alaska travel, Healy, Valdez, Gulkana, Ski Boot Hill, travel outside 2]; This film is made up of several smaller reels labeled "Salcha and Texas 1973," "Healy, Salcha, Chena, Gulk [?], Tex," "Healy Lake," "Healy Coal, Home," "Healy Lake, Home Fbks, Xmas, Old Shop," "Healy Lake, Rich, Snow Mach, Ski Boot Hill," and "Ski Boot Hill, Downtown." The film contains footage of an Alaska cabin and tracked cart, a neighborhood and Baptist church, a family fishing, canoeing on a lake, a family at home, a school bus in Healy during winter with a group posing near the bus, a cabin and hunting scenes, Christmas and home scenes, men in a shop, a large building in winter, camping scenes, snowmachines, a highway, skiing, a ski hill tow rope, and downtown Fairbanks.

: [Alaska travel, Healy, Valdez, Gulkana, Ski Boot Hill, travel outside 3]; This film is made up of several smaller reels labeled "Valdez 1973, To Whittier, Col Glacier," "Valdez 1973, O.B., John and Ruth, Party in Garage, Duck Camp 1973," "Healy Lake and Summit River, To Valdez," "Gulkana, Salcha," "Gulkana, Dawn and Vic [?]," "Gulkana," and "1969 Gulkana." The film contains views of the Columbia Glacier, a family traveling in Alaska to Valdez, people gathering and sitting at tables, people fishing and cleaning fish, boating on a river, a man and a dog sleeping, the interior of a cabin, a man washing and cooking inside a cabin, a baseball game, a woman and a boat, family and river scenes, a family fishing, and camping scenes.

: [Alaska travel, Healy, Valdez, Gulkana, Ski Boot Hill, travel outside 4]; This film is made up of several smaller reels labeled "Gulkana, Donky[?] River," "Flood 1967, Up Gulkana, Xmas 1967, Ski Cleary," "Gulkana River, Last Day at Dickie," "Porky, Salcha, D&V Cabin, Up Gulkana, Starting [?]," "Gulkana 1974 Paxon, Summit Lake, Boat Races #2," "Fish Trip Moose Shaw Creek, Salmon on Gulkana, Summer 1972," and "Summit Lake, First Day at Dicky." The film contains scenes of Alaska road and river travel, interior cabin views, a brief flooded neighborhood view, a man in a boat on a river, family Christmas and skiing scenes, people fishing and boating, an airplane, boats racing on a river, and people at a cabin.

: [Alaska travel, Healy, Valdez, Gulkana, Ski Boot Hill, travel outside 5]; This film is made up of several smaller film reels labeled "Yellowstone 1969," "Yellowstone," "Mexico 1969," "Acapulco," "Port Vallarta," "Rodeo 1970," "Rodeo Fair," and "Hoover Dam 1976 [?] Park [?]." The film contains scenes of travel outside Alaska, travel scenes that may or may not have been filmed in Alaska, and unusual rodeo scenes featuring circus animals.

: [Alaskans]; The filmmaker's original labeling scheme has AAF-20081 numbered as Bacon 18-03 and titled “People - Alaskans.” Reed Bovee interviewed filmmaker Bill Bacon in 2010, and the following information about the group of films that includes this film is based on Bovee's notes from that interview: “Stan Price at his home - He is an old-timer who lived on Saxman Island - There were these bears and he knew them and he could walk around and they never bothered him because he knew them - He had a garden there - There is his obituary in the box - Riverboat in Nenana - It was put in down river from the bridge - They wanted to bring the riverboat up to Fairbanks so they had to wait until high water to get the boat up to Chena but it could not fit under the bridge - There was a big pole in the way so they had to take a big saw and cut enough of the pole to make it under the bridge - Homesteader Paul Elbert’s new D9 cat. He is cleaning his farmland outside of Fairbanks in a place called ‘Happy Valley.’” Notes on the film box are as follows: “Stan Price at his home with the bears, Rusty Heurlin at his log home in Ester June 1974, break-up 1961, Riverboat Nenana under the bridge in Nenana, coming up the Chena River tying up in Fairbanks, Obituary of Stanton Price” and “Reel 3: People – Alaskans.”

: [Alyeska pipeline start-up raw footage from 1977]; Footage includes reporter Ted Lehne speaking about the start-up of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, scenes of the pipeline in various locations, Yukon River Bridge, Ted Lehne interviewing Dr. Darch about the start-up of the pipeline and refinery construction in North Pole as well as about a possible gas pipeline (sound), views of the pipeline and pump stations, and a pipeline pig.

: [Alyeska start-up, press and TV crews waiting for oil 1977 part 1]; The filmmaker's original labeling scheme has film AAF-20,001 numbered as Bacon 108-1, and titled "Alyeska Start-Up: WP [workprint]-400 feet" The corresponding negative was also included in box. Reed Bovee interviewed filmmaker Bill Bacon in 2010, and the following information about these films is based on Bovee's notes from that interview: "Box 108 - 1 large reel, 2 medium reels, 1 photo and a magazine article - Start-up at pig launcher. This is the first time they put oil in the pipeline. They put a pig in the pipe first and in it was an electronic device that could detect where the oil was. You could walk along and hear the pig pinging and they had instruments that could pick it up to track it when it went underground. Bill was the only one allowed inside the pump station because he worked for Alyeska. There were TV crews from all over the world to film this and he was the only one allowed in. Bill was in there filming and the oil started to come into the pump station and all of the sudden oil started coming in and spraying all over the station. This guy that worked in there yelled at Bill, 'Does that camera run on electricity?' And Bill answered 'Yes sir.' He yelled back 'Shut it off,' so Bill did and he said, 'What the hell is the matter?' The guy said, 'One spark and this whole place blows to kingdom come - you don’t realize but that crude oil has everything in it - it has gas and everything in it so it will blow this thing to hell.' Once they cleaned it up a little they let him film again and he got film of them cleaning it up. The man in the pump station said, 'Mark my words before this oil gets to Valdez someone is going to get killed,' and sure enough someone did. There was a leak in the pipe and they did not shut off all the electrical stuff and the thing blew up. No one knows why but it happened."

: [Alyeska start-up, press and TV crews waiting for oil 1977 part 2]; The filmmaker's original labeling scheme AAF-20,002 numbered as Bacon 108-2 and titled "Alyeska Start-Up, Press and TV Crews Waiting for Oil 1977: WP [workprint]-300 feet" [the corresponding negative was also included in box]. See AAF-20417 for an associated item originally labeled Bacon 108-3. Reed Bovee interviewed filmmaker Bill Bacon in 2010, and the following information about these films is based on Bovee's notes from that interview: "Box 108 - 1 large reel, 2 medium reels, 1 photo and a magazine article - Start-up at pig launcher. This is the first time they put oil in the pipeline. They put a pig in the pipe first and in it was an electronic device that could detect where the oil was. You could walk along and hear the pig pinging and they had instruments that could pick it up to track it when it went underground. Bill was the only one allowed inside the pump station because he worked for Alyeska. There were TV crews from all over the world to film this and he was the only one allowed in. Bill was in there filming and the oil started to come into the pump station and all of the sudden oil started coming in and spraying all over the station. This guy that worked in there yelled at Bill, 'Does that camera run on electricity?' And Bill answered 'Yes sir.' He yelled back 'Shut it off,' so Bill did and he said, 'What the hell is the matter?' The guy said, 'One spark and this whole place blows to kingdom come - you don’t realize but that crude oil has everything in it - it has gas and everything in it so it will blow this thing to hell.' Once they cleaned it up a little they let him film again and he got film of them cleaning it up. The man in the pump station said, 'Mark my words before this oil gets to Valdez someone is going to get killed,' and sure enough someone did. There was a leak in the pipe and they did not shut off all the electrical stuff and the thing blew up. No one knows why but it happened."

: [Arnie M. Lee and Family collection - 8]; Notes with this film say “1949 Charlotte Ames and Bob, Don, Mrs. Wiener, and Lee Family at Airport, Pan Am DC4; 1949 Norman and Ingrid at Badger Road cabin, 1962 Boat Races, Chena River in Fairbanks, Christmas 1961 Arne Jergen; 1962 Boat Races in Chena Rover; 1962 Norman’s second car 1956 Pontiac; 1962 Hydraulic mining Ester Alaska; 1962 Cleanup at Hassel’s Mine; 1962 Golden Days Fairbanks and Ingrid home in 1972; 1962 Arne and Arnold Nordale, Ferry at Nenana.” The film contains footage of a Pan American World Airways airplane, children playing, children hoisting one another with a rope and pulley system, children skiing, a Christmas tree in a home, a family meal in a home, the Chena River in downtown Fairbanks, power boats on the river, crowds gathered along the riverbank to watch boats, a Fairbanks home, hydraulic giants and a mining operation, men cleaning up a sluice box, dancing in downtown Fairbanks, Monty’s Department Store and Lacey Street Theater signs, views from aboard the Sternwheeler Yutana, the Nenana bridge, a fishwheel, highway travel, and Fielding Lake.

: [Baker family films]; The original film is labeled “Ma and pa golfing, cutting and bringing in Christmas tree, Ma and Tom and Queenie.” The film contains scenes of the Baker family golfing in Michigan, Queenie the dog pulling people on a sled, a small airplane flying low along a shoreline, two people cutting a Christmas tree that is then towed to the truck by Queenie, and blue jays at a bird feeder.

: [Band plays at Sunset Strip in Fairbanks]; This footage includes scenes at the Sunset Strip night club in Fairbanks. A band plays, people dance, and a bartender serves drinks.

: [Bilingual education and Teacher Corps guidelines]; AAF-13167 is a 1/2-inch open reel videotape labeled "John Collier Dec 10 PM Session, #1 Navajo Indian Community, #2 Mic Murphy and Interior Council and voting for [illegible], #3 Presentation of [illegible] to mic, Ray and [illegible] - miscellaneous candid shots of group." It contains scenes of speakers talking to college students or new teachers prior to their returning to communities. Topics include bilingual education for Native American students and Teacher Corps guidelines.

: [Bill Larry collection 8]; This footage shows the start of multiple snow machine races, including Le Mans style starts at an oval track with bleachers and additional races at the Tanana Valley Fairground's (?) oval track.

: [Boat race, Jim O'Sullivan interview]; Specific dates and other information noted on the original film are given here in parentheses. The footage features a boat race, men climbing out of a boat as spectators on the river bank watch, Jim O'Sullivan being interviewed in an office about his election campaign for state legislature (title of segment is "Jim O' Sullivan and Boat Race") (June 20, 1976).

: [Boating on a river, camping]; This footage features three children in the front of a boat on a river, a boat passing a sternwheeler with tourists on the sternwheeler waving, a boat motoring to shore, a campsite with a teepee and campers, women preparing food at a campsite on the bank of a river, women roasting and eating hotdogs, a cliff face, sea gulls, and a cityscape viewed from across a body of water (likely not in Alaska).

: [Bud Anderson film collection 2]; Footage includes moose in yard, a child building a snow fort, Caterpillar tractors and other heavy equipment clearing snow and opening Steese Highway during spring, and children playing in a puddle with an inner tube as a make-shift boat.

: [Bud Anderson film collection 3]; Footage includes children playing with a basketball, highway travel, a car pulling a camper, a picnic, cars waiting for a ferry at Haines, arrival and travel on the Alaska Marine Highway System ferry "Wickersham," and family activities outside of Alaska.

: [Bush pilot John Thompson]; The filmmaker's original labeling scheme has AAF-20080 numbered as Bacon 18-01 and titled “Bush Pilot John Thompson.” Reed Bovee interviewed filmmaker Bill Bacon in 2010, and the following information about the group of films that includes this film is based on Bovee's notes from that interview: “Stan Price at his home - He is an old-timer who lived on Saxman Island - There were these bears and he knew them and he could walk around and they never bothered him because he knew them - He had a garden there - There is his obituary in the box - Riverboat in Nenana - It was put in down river from the bridge - They wanted to bring the riverboat up to Fairbanks so they had to wait until high water to get the boat up to Chena but it could not fit under the bridge - There was a big pole in the way so they had to take a big saw and cut enough of the pole to make it under the bridge - Homesteader Paul Elbert’s new D9 cat. He is cleaning his farmland outside of Fairbanks in a place called ‘Happy Valley.’" Notes on the film box are as follows: “Stan Price at his home with the bears, Rusty Heurlin at his log home in Ester June 1974, break-up 1961, Riverboat Nenana under the bridge in Nenana, coming up the Chena River tying up in Fairbanks, Obituary of Stanton Price” and “ Reel 1: Bush pilot John Thompson.”

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