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.

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: Midnight Sunland Alaska. U.S.A.; This program was produced to promote Alaska tourism by Wien Alaska Airlines and hosted by Lowell Thomas Jr. The footage includes glaciers, highway travel, a chained wolf at a roadhouse near Tok, Paxson, glaciers along Alaskan roads, travel in Southeast Alaska aboard a ship, glaciers in Southeast Alaska, aerial views of Juneau and Skagway, views of Anchorage, cabbages and a vegetable stand in the Matanuska Valley, the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus and aerial views of it, aerial views and street scenes in Fairbanks, an aircraft at the Fairbanks International Airport, and travel on a Wien F-27 to Ft. Yukon, Nome, Kotzebue, and Pt. Barrow. Village scenes include cabins, fishwheel operation and a fish camp near Ft. Yukon, street scenes and gold panning in Nome, people pulling in a beluga whale and Eskimo Dancers in Kotzebue, and children excavating Native artifacts. Additional footage includes Harding Lake, the hotel in McKinley Park, ivory carvers, and an Eskimo blanket toss in Kotzebue.

: [Senator Gruening talks with Adm. Don Morrison]; U.S. Senator Ernest Gruening talks with Vice Admiral Don Morrison, assistant commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, about his service in Alaska. They discuss the Will Rogers monument in Barrow, coast guard plans in Alaska, and a recent instance in which Cook Inlet was opened by a coast guard icebreaker.

: [Senator Gruening talks with Admiral A.C. Richmond]; Senator Ernest Gruening interviews U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Richmond about his retirement and the history of the U.S. Coast Guard in Alaska.

: [Senator Gruening talks with Admiral C.C. Knapp]; Senator Gruening interviews Admiral C.C. Knapp, Commandant of the United States Coast Guard 17th District in Alaska, about enforcement of the three mile limit, monitoring foreign fishing fleets, and other duties.

: [Senator Gruening talks with A.S. "Mike" Monroney]; Senator Ernest Gruening interviews Oklahoma Senator Monroney about pending legislation that will help develop airports in Alaska.

: [Senator Gruening talks with Barry Jackson]; Senator Ernest Gruening interviews Fairbanks City Attorney Barry Jackson about the Civil Aeronautics Board review of the Pan American World Airways route application for a Tokyo-Fairbanks-New York route.

: [Senator Gruening talks with Beatrice Slotnick]; Senator Ernest Gruening interviews young Alaska spelling bee champion Beatrice Slotnick of College, Alaska, who placed 28th out of 70 in the National Spelling Contest.

: [Senator Gruening talks with Bue Fjermeros]; Senator Ernest Gruening interviews Norwegian provincial governor Bue Fjermeros about his duties.

: [Senator Gruening talks with Carl Heinmiller]; U.S. Senator Ernest Gruening interviews Department of Interior Indian Arts and Crafts Specialist Carl Heinmiller about the revival of Chilkat dancing, starting a dance troupe, dancing for tourists, and Chilkat blankets.

: [Senator Gruening talks with Clair Engle]; Senator Ernest Gruening interviews California Senator Clair Engle about pending legislation to promote gold mining because of depleted gold reserves in the United States. They also discuss pending legislation to help states develop commercial fishing.

: [Senator Gruening talks with Clarence Martin]; Senator Ernest Gruening interviews Department of Commerce Undersecretary for Transportation Clarence Martin about a planned program to survey Alaska for highway routes to open the state for development.

: [Senator Gruening talks with Clyde T. Ellis]; Senator Ernest Gruening interviews the General Manager of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Clyde T. Ellis, about rural electrification in Alaska.

: [Senator Gruening talks with Conrad Wirth]; Senator Ernest Gruening interviews National Park Service Director Conrad Wirth about policy and future development in Katmai National Park and Preserve, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Denali National Park and Preserve, and Sitka National Monument.

: [Senator Gruening talks with Daniel Goldy]; Senator Ernest Gruening interviews Dan Goldy, the deputy director of the Area Redevelopment Administration, about using the Area Redevelopment Administration Act to help development in Alaska through low interest loans.

: [Senator Gruening talks with Dr. William Wood]; U.S. Senator Ernest Gruening interviews University of Alaska President Dr. William Wood about his plans for university expansion, which include additional research laboratories.

: [Senator Gruening talks with Dr. William Wood]; Senator Ernest Gruening interviews University of Alaska President Dr. William Wood about planned building upgrades on campus, the need for more buildings, and expanded enrollment.

: [Senator Gruening talks with Ed Bellringer]; Senator Ernest Gruening interviews Elmendorf Air Force Base Wildlife Conservation Advisor Ed Bellringer about his career in Alaska and conservation efforts at Elmendorf.

: [Senator Gruening talks with Edward Kennedy]; Senator Gruening interviews Senator Edward Kennedy about a proposed swimming pool for Juneau and the importance of knowing how to swim.

: [Senator Gruening talks with Frank Peratrovich]; Senator Ernest Gruening interviews Alaskan fisherman and former territorial legislator Frank Peratrovich about the condition of fisheries in Alaska and the need for legislation to support rehabilitation of the resource. Peratrovich, at the time of the interview, was serving as an Alaska state senator.

: [Senator Gruening talks with General Walter Wilson]; Senator Ernest Gruening interviews Corps of Engineers's General Walter Wilson about government projects in Alaska, including Clear Air Force Station, the Nuclear Power Plant at Ft. Greely, Rampart Dam, Bradley Dam, Snettisham Dam, Petersburg Small Boat Harbor, and the Haines Pipeline.

: [Senator Gruening talks with George Adams]; U.S. Senator Ernest Gruening interviews University of Alaska Vice President George Adams about allowing individuals traveling through Alaska during polar flights to remain in Alaska and speak at the university.

: [Senator Gruening talks with George Byer]; Senator Ernest Gruening interviews Anchorage Mayor George Byer about a proposed International Reception Center and Duty Free Zone for the Anchorage International Airport.

: [Senator Gruening talks with Gil Johnson]; U.S. Senator Ernest Gruening interviews Alaska Commissioner of Labor Gil Johnson about labor and unemployment issues in Alaska.

: [Senator Gruening talks with Gus Norwood]; Senator Ernest Gruening interviews Gus Norwood, Executive Secretary of the Northwest Public Power Association and member of the Rampart Advisory Committee, about the economic potential and viability of the proposed Rampart Dam.

: [Senator Gruening talks with Herb Hilscher]; Senator Gruening interviews Anchorage author Herb Hilscher about oil exploration in Bristol Bay.

: [Senator Gruening talks with J. Edward Day]; Senator Ernest Gruening interviews United States Postmaster General J. Edward Day about expanding service and facilities in Alaska.

: [Senator Gruening talks with Jack McCord]; Senator Ernest Gruening interviews Sitkalidak Island cattleman Jack McCord about the problems encountered in shipping cattle to Alaska, difficulties facing the cattle industry in Alaska, and the process of leasing land for grazing.

: [Senator Gruening talks with James A. Williams]; Senator Ernest Gruening interviews James A. Williams, Alaska Department of Natural Resources Director of the Division of Mines and Minerals, about a proposed bill that would subsidize gold mining and increase national gold reserves.

: [Senator Gruening talks with James Carr]; Senator Ernest Gruening interviews Department of the Interior Undersecretary James Carr about the salmon industry in Alaska, opening national parks to the public, the Copper River Highway, and the Rampart Dam site inspection.

: [Senator Gruening talks with James Hurley]; Senator Ernest Gruening interviews James Hurley from the Alaska Rural Rehabilitation Corporation about the origin of the Matanuska Valley Colonization Project and the potential of a birch hardwood industry in Alaska.

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Alaska Film Archives

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