Alaska Film Archives
- 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.”
- This footage features a woman on a swingset next to a lake, a woman and a man paddling a canoe, palm trees, a beach, a city, a woman modeling dresses and furs in front of a brick house, a well-dressed woman and man getting into a car in winter, driving, a woman and man getting out of a car, a landscape viewed from a moving vehicle, an airplane on the tarmac, two women boarding an airplane at an airport, an airplane being fueled at an airport, women picking produce in a field, a group of people eating at a picnic table, and airplanes taking off at the airport.
- Notes with the film say “1949-50, Trapping, Copper River, Moving FE Dredge, Taken by Arne Larsen.” Writing inside the film can says “Moose Lake trapping, Hanegela[?] Valley, Living Seattle, Moving Dredge No. 2, Fairbanks Creek 1950” and “Trapping, Dredge No. 2 moving 1949-1950.” The film contains footage of snow-covered mountains, a red building with a “Strelna” sign, a small log cabin or cabins, a dog with puppies, beaver pelts stretched to dry, a man snow-shoeing as dogs follow, dogs pulling a sled up a steep hill as a man pushes, Pan American Airways and United Air Lines airplanes, bulldozers moving a dredge in winter, and a Goldstream mining office and buildings.
- The original film is labeled “Fall and summer.” The film contains scenes of small airplanes around a float pond, John Baker fishing, Alaska wildflowers, canvas-sided cabins, Queenie the dog, a sternwheeler pushing a barge on a river with a fishwheel in the foreground, flowers, a ptarmigan, a barge on a river, a floatplane taxiing on water with railroad cars in the background, travel along a gravel road, road construction possibly in Mt. McKinley/Denali National Park, a glacier, a red squirrel on a picnic table, a magpie, Dall sheep, caribou, a close view of a grizzly bear feeding, blueberries, autumn colors across the tundra, trees, a ptarmigan, a moose, an arctic ground squirrel, a moose, airplanes on skis taking off and landing, John Baker with an airplane, John Baker hunting goose, a beaver in a pond, and a dog chasing after fish.
- AAF-11485 consists of one reel of 8mm film labeled “People and Parties” and contains footage of various locations throughout Alaska, a sign for ‘Evelyn’s'; footage of a dog; footage of the Traveler’s Inn in Fairbanks; footage of a number of well-dressed women exiting a building and showing off their clothing to the camera; a number of various scenic views of Alaska landscapes; images of people and couples dancing indoors at an unidentified location; a party or family gathering at a home; and footage of a woman and a baby playing together.
- 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.
- This film contains footage of a two little girls in dresses in front of a big piece of equipment, a man and woman holding babies, men camping out of the back of a truck, men spear fishing, piglets, a rosebush, two people playing with dogs, people gold panning, a woman with a large gold nugget, two people showing off fish they caught, people fishing in a river, overview of a mining camp or town, a man cutting firewood in front of a cabin with a double-bladed axe, a parade in winter with troops marching and an "iceworm" float, Fairview Hotel visible in background of the parade, people in parkas, a blanket toss, a man parachuting, cars racing around track, a large structure on fire, a man standing in front of a small airplane in a field next to a church, the Mines Building at the University of Alaska under construction, a Felix Pedro monument, scenic views of a small town in winter, a man chipping snow and ice off a roof, a parade in winter including large floats and horses and women marching, businesses along Cushman Street in Fairbanks, airplanes parked in a field, people wading in a river, people gold panning, a small airplane landing in a field, a winter celebration with a blanket toss and Alaska Native dancing and dog mushing, a banner for North American Grand Champion Sled Dog Derby, a man digging a small airplane out of snow, four men walking past Alaska Railroad cars, the Nenana Bridge over the Tanana River, and abuilding with "Nenana" on roof.
- Filmed by George and Lona Morelander during a portion of their teaching careers in Alaska. Summary: Part 1 (AAF-2930) footage includes Wrangell street scenes, an unidentified location, a group of Alaska Natives aboard a steamship, travel in Southeast Alaska, unloading salmon at a cannery, a man with gun on a beach, fishing boats, men arriving at a floatplane and the float plane taking off, and a small child. Part 2 (AAF-2931) footage includes travel in Southeast Alaska, glaciers, people with rifles on a beach, unloading salmon, people on a ship, and a man climbing rigging. Additional footage includes people at a picnic, a child doing cartwheels on a beach, houses on beach railroad tracks, and children sledding. Images at Yakutat (?) include buildings and people, games and races on a large dock, and boys and men boxing.
- Footage includes a river break-up, Richardson Highway travel, children playing, sled dog races, downtown Fairbanks, a panorama, Dawson City, waterskiing at Harding Lake, a Golden Days Parade in Fairbanks, a Sheep Creek dredge being moved in 1958, children in Easter clothes, Open North American Sled Dog Races and the Fairbanks Winter Carnival parade. Footage from 1960 through 1966 includes a family at Harding Lake, the 1961 Winter Carnival parade, Harding Lake, travel outside of Alaska, the 1963 North American Championship Sled Dog Race, snowshoe baseball, a scramble race, the 1963 Yukon Marathon, Eskimo Olympics, the 1964 Golden Days parade, dog races, Tanana River break-up in Nenana in 1965 and snowmachines at the 1966 North American. Additional footage includes Harding Lake in 1966, snowmachines in March of 1967, waterskiing at Harding Lake in 1967, fireworks, the 1967 Chena River flood in Fairbanks, boat travel on the Salcha River, waterskiing in 1968, and Jason in 1978.
- AAF-16392 is a super-8mm film labeled “Bird Island – Clean up at Plt Creek.” The film begins with daytime scenes of small motor boats traveling over open water. A whale surfaces a few times in front of the boats followed by scenes of a rookery. The sun sets behind a rock outcropping as birds fly by. A bulldozer moves mud and snow from a roadway or ditch. A man fishes for salmon from a motor boat, then two men show off their catch. This is followed by scenes of draglines and a large sluicebox and men working and cleaning the sluicebox with shovels.
- This is a film that was developed in September 1959 and is labeled, “Moose hunting, Fairbanks world champ dog races and blanket toss.” The film contains scenes of men hunting and butchering a moose, an Alaska Dog Mushers Association banner, sled dog races, a woman in a crown posing and driving a dog sled, an early snow machine near a fence, and a blanket toss.
- Film contains scenes of parachute jumps as viewed from air at an unknown location, parachute jumps as viewed from air over Fairbanks area, parachute jumps, interior views of the airplane, parachute cargo drops, landing at Ladd Field on Fort Wainwright, a forklift in operation, men bundling boxes of C-rations, PBY Catalina or similar airplane at Fort Wainwright, the parachuting of boxes and barrels, cargo being loaded onto a DC-3 airplane, men performing practice jumps from a tower onto a trampoline, a tower with sign "Exit and Shock Tower," a Boeing 707 commercial airplane flying overhead, parachute jumps as viewed from ground, men jumping into an area of scrubby spruce, a parachutist on the ground unhooking from chute, a man on the ground with a radio, men cutting spruce with chainsaws, men sharpening chainsaw, a Huey helicopter, men hiking into a forest, a sign on a tree that says "Pump Training - Mosquito Alley - Mendido and Prince[?]," a helicopter in a clearing, men at a shelter made from a tarp, Alaska Native men and other men practicing short jumps from a platform, men jumping from a zipline and rolling on the ground, men climbing knotted rope, men on monkey bars and a climbing tower, a man spraying grass and spruce with a water hose, a man with a pack on his pack creating spot burns, men carrying boxes with carrying poles, men with a helicopter and gear, men in a clearing packing gear, a helicopter taking off, a small fire for burning trash, men building shelters, a helicopter landing in a clearing, a parachute caught in a tree, men untangling and packing a chute, a helicopter with a sling full of gear landing in a cleaning, a sign that says "Line Construction - Instructors Tommy Albert and Bob Berry," and men clearing scrub spruce. According to Alaska Smokejumper Chris Swisher in 2014, a portion of this film contains scenes of Paracargo Kicker Training, in which a group of men, all from Stevens Village, Alaska, are practicing emergency aircraft exits. Marty Sharp was in charge of the Paracargo program and training at that time.
- AAF-16347 is labeled “Lee,” and it contains the following note written by Norm Lee in about 2017: “Electric dragline, bucket is big enough to drive car into 1936, mom with Jean 1937, mom at Sixth Avenue house, Birch Lake, dredge at Ester, dad and mom and Jean, Sixth Avenue Fairbanks, dad with Jean, Weeks Field 1937, dad skiing Chena River, Leonhard Seppala, Griffin Park hockey, clown in front of Griffin’s store on Cushman Street, Arcade 1938?, Pacific Alaska Airway float, Jean, mom with Jean, dad with Jean, friend of mom and dad’s, Jean growing up, dad’s wolf, dredge, old bridge over Chena River, Jean 1938, Harding Lake mom and Nancy Brealy[?], Chena River, looking at downtown Fairbanks, NC Company etc., early bomber to Weeks Field 1939?, Jean with neighbor, hydaulicking, big electric dragline at Ester (one of the biggest at the time), Eagle Summit, caribou, raining on the road to Circle Hot Springs, miner’s cabin, Seward - Alaska Steamship, mother aunt uncle and cousins with Jean, Bridal Falls near Valdez, Uncle Harold and mom, Gulkana Roadhouse, cool way to supply water, Cushman Street bridge, picnic time mom and Jean, our ’36 Ford Coupe, Birch Lake, Jean on Sixth Avenue, Arne Larson and Gurry skiing, Weeks Field 1939, Fairbanks Winter Carnival Parade 1942?, Cousin Marian waving, Jean 1942 or 1943, Harding Lake, mom and Jean 1943, mom and Gurry (from Norway), neighbors, twins Norman and Ingrid 1943, black and white 1944, color, Jean and Karen Jorgenson, sled on Sixth and Cowles, fire on Second Avenue and Cushman, dog racing on downtown Chena, mom with kids on the way to Norway 1946 (Weeks Field), Pan Am DC-3 to Seattle - first leg visiting relatives in California and New York on way to Norway, darker film is in Norway (stayed for one year), May 17th Independence Day parade in Norway, Grandpa and Grandma Lee with us kids and dad’s beautiful home, mom’s mother and dad and uncles and aunt, relatives, Jean and her friend Turrie skiing (Norway), ski jump (Holmenkollen), Norwegian flag, boarding the ocean liner (Stavangerfjord) to return home.” Scenes are as described in Norm Lee’s note.
- This footage shows a Wien Stinson airplane landing on ice in Anaktuvuk[?], Eskimo men ice fishing, and a Wien airplane departing. Footage featuring Eskimo life in Barrow includes school children in a Barrow classroom, elders weaving baleen baskets, a dog sled, an early tracked vehicle made from a truck, a Wien airplane arriving, hunters pulling umiaks across the ice using sled dogs, a whaling festival, a woman demonstrating how she carries a baby on her back under a parka, a dog sled hauling freight, a sod house on the tundra, people trading fur and baleen baskets for goods in a store, village scenes, a woman making dolls, women setting nets along the shore and pulling in a catch of small fish, young boys with puppies, and hunters in umiaks taking seal and walrus. Notes on the original film and can say "Barrow 1 and 2."
- This reel is made from four smaller reels labeled by the filmmaker as follows: bull riding, steer wrestling, kid bull riding, horse races, Calgary; Calgary Stampede parade; bull riding, chuck wagon race, Calgary Stampede; bronc riding, calf roping, horse races, Calgary Canada 1968. The film features footage from the Calgary Stampede rodeo, an exhibition and festival in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- AAF-13990 and AAF-13991 are presented by the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs. Both films contain identical scenes with AAF-13990 narrated in English and AAF-13991 narrated in Yupik. The program is about the development of the Primary Eskimo Program (PEP), a bilingual language program introduced in Yupik-speaking Alaska Native communities of southwest Alaska. Opening credits list Area Director Clarence Antioquia, Assistant Area Director Emil Kowalczyk, Federal Program Director William Menojah, Jr., Title 1 Director Willard Walters, Agency Superintendent of Education S. William Benton, and Education Specialist Calvin Lundy. Cinematographer is Frank Johnson. Editor is Guy Bishop. Storyteller is John Haymer. Yupik interpreter is Oscar Alexie. The film is written and directed by Jerry Warner, and it's produced by Jerry Warner and Associates. The program contains scenes in Kwethluk and Akiachak, Alaska, including elementary-aged students learning to speak, read, and write in both Yupik and English. In 2018, Juliana Carlson, originally from Kwethluk, identified the following individuals who appear in the film: Ethel Peter (at 01:42, center girl with red and black shirt); Deborah, Mabel or Mary Constantine (at 02:16); Deborah Ann Michael of Kwethluk (at 5:07); the Kwethluk First Grade class including teacher Lillian Michael McGill, John Andrew, Jr., Paul Jackson, Anastasia Michael, Wassiliie Paul, Juliana Guy, Matthew Dillon, Minnie Nicori, William Nicolai and Olga Nick (at 05:41); Kwethluk First Graders John Andrew, Jr. and Juliana Guy (at 06:16); Lynn Jones (at 07:24); Alice Alexie, Veronica Michael (left), and Daniel Jackson (at 07:58); Samson Mann and Matthew Nicori (at 17:39); Kwethluk BIA first grade teacher Lillian Michael McGill (at 19:22); James Michael, Lillian Michael and Lola Evan (at 22:47); Sophie Owens Lowery (at 23:21); Kwethluk 3rd and 4th Graders (at 23:55); Elena Pasitnal (left), Elena Chimegalrea (center), and Marla Evan (right) (at 24:29); Deborah Michael of Kwethluk (at 26:46); and Wassillie Paul of Kwethluk (at 27:20).
- This original film was labeled "Umiat." Footage includes snowmachine travel, ice fishing, a large burbot, pulling nets, Umiat (?), people working on snowmachines, several DeHaviland Twin Otter airplanes arriving, scenery and snowmachine travel, a dead moose killed by wolves (?), and additional North Slope scenes.
- Footage features Prince William Sound winter scenery from airplane, Columbia Glacier, an airplane landing on gravel runway at Valdez Airport, Old Town in May, Port Valdez Motel, Old Town fire, Harolds Rent-A-Truck pulling mobile home, Gold Rush fashion show, women in gowns, Old Town, people moving a building, New Town boat harbor, a boat named “Scrounger Too,” a parade in New Town with a military band, a fire truck, a school bus, a fire in Old Town, aerial views of Old Town and New Town, Pinzon Bar, cafe sign, Switzerland Inn, New Town harbor, Rexall store, Xavier Catholic Church, the police department, the Visitors Bureau, paved roads, Eagles Lodge, Old Town, an abandoned church, people moving the Eagles building, and people moving other buildings and an old church. Reels of Super-8mm films had been donated to the Valdez Museum by Jim Thompson in 2006, and were officially transferred to the Alaska Film Archives in 2015.
- This film contains scenes of fishing operations at Bristol Bay, sail boats and fishermen of Bristol Bay fishing fleet, cannery barges, a cannery line, sport-fishing, pilot Gren Collins and his airplane on floats, Kenai River, Brooks River, Kokolik River?, Alaska birds and waterfowl, Dall sheep, mountain goats, deer, caribou, buffalo, bears, moose, fur seals in the Pribilof Islands, the fur seal industry, Lake George and Knik Glacier, and emptying of Lake George.
- The original Betamax videotape is labeled, “Larry Sutton, Northern Alaska Environmental Center; Alpha Video Betacam 3-26-87; Ulrich Ganz, Wilbur Mills.” The video contains silent footage of mountains and rivers in Alaska, kayakers in a variety of settings, people hiking, birds and nests, Dall sheep, bears, caribou, and tundra flowers.
- This film is labeled “Railroad shorts.” The footage contains scenes of travel on the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad in winter, a church and a train station at Bennett Lake, an airplane taking off, snowy train tracks and a tunnel, railroad workers and employees near a track and inside a train, a train traveling over trestles, snowy mountain scenes, a and sternwheeler in Carcross.
- AAF-11473 consists of 3 reels of 8mm film that have been combined onto one reel. Reel 1 is labeled “March 6, 1961” and contains footage of people sunbathing (the film has a mag stripe soundtrack that was badly deteriorated, so no audio was captured during digitization). Reel 2 is labeled “Hotel Fire” and contains footage of a burning building with firefighters responding (the film is badly deteriorated). Reel 3 is labeled”Chena Ice Classic etc.” and contains detailed scenes of the construction of the Cushman Street Bridge over the Chena River in Fairbanks in 1959.