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.

: [Alaska Native Land Claims symposium]; AAF-13175 is a 1/2-inch open reel videotape labeled "Alaska Native Land Claims Symposium, speaker: Neil Bassett representing USDI-BLM, Master." A representative from the U.S. Department of the Interior/Bureau of Land Managament speaks during a symposium on Alaska Native lands claims.

: [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.

: [Dr. Michael Krauss and Irene Reed lectures]; AAF-13169 is a 1/2-inch open reel videotape labeled "Anth 429 - Lang. in Culture Tape #III - Dr. Michael Krauss, Irene Reed (Master)." Michael Krauss speaks about the number of native speakers of Native American languages and lectures about Native languages of Alaska. He points to a map of Alaska with hand drawn lines. Irene Reed presents an overview of bilingual programs in the state of Alaska. The first 90 seconds of the video contains miscellaneous, unrelated scenes.

: [KTVF miscellaneous short clips, mental health stories, etc.]; Some segments of film contain audio, others are silent. Specific dates and other information noted on the original film are given here in parentheses. Footage includes a man talking about community mental health services in Alaska (sound) (segment titled "Jack McCone") (undated), a woman talking on a phone (silent) (segment titled "Mental Health - Audrey Erkenlens") (undated), children working on craft projects, classroom views (sound) (segment titled "Wendy cutaways") (undated), a counselor talking to a client (silent) (segment titled "Counselor/ Client cutaway") (undated), a man and woman talking on the phone for a modular home commercial (silent) (segment titled "Columbia") (undated), Karen Algarin and others working at desks, typing, and talking on phones (silent) (segment titled "Mental Health cutaways") (undated), people in an office talking (silent) (segment titled "Dr. Doolittle - Audrey phone/secretary") (undated), men in Golden Days costumes, a fashion show in a banquet hall (sound) (segment titled "Golden Days Fashion Show - Traveler's Inn 1977"), a woman being interviewed about the Hope Center, men and women working with disabled clients (sound) (segment titled "Lynn Horning") (undated), a man feeding a penned moose, a man speaking from riverboat at Alaskaland while filming a political commercial (silent and sound) (segment titled "Frank Gold") (undated), a man walking into Dr. Gold's office (silent) (undated), and children playing with toys (silent) (undated).

: [KTVF miscellaneous short clips, Sitka, news clips, etc.]; 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 harbor views (segment titled "Sitka harbor"), totem poles, a television talk show (segment titled "KSA-TV Sitka"), an interview scene, a man on a motorcycle, men in hardhats, men in a forest, construction scenes (segment titled "Anchorage construction"), Warwick talking to elderly gentlemen (segment titled "Pioneer's Home"), a KSA-TV clip, Ted Stevens, an interview scene, wharf views, Ted Stevens again, a strongman contest (all silent) (all undated), a school board hearing about the expulsion of a boy for wearing long hair in a public school (sound) (undated), scenes from a HIPOW auction (sound) (undated), firefighters cleaning up a scene after a fire in downtown Fairbanks (silent) (segment titled "Jean Dixon") (undated), a tourism banquet and speakers at the Traveler's Inn in Fairbanks (sound) (undated), Hunter Elementary School students climbing on a new playground fire truck (sound) (undated), school board officials touring Nordale School (sound) (undated), a woman in a kitchen, views of a cabin interior, people talking at a table, an outhouse, exterior cabin views (all silent) (all undated), a man promoting a Fairbanks housing development (sound) (segment titled "McGuire Development spot") (undated), a woman talking about career possibilities for West Valley High School students (sound) (segment titled "Roger and Nancy") (undated), women talking (silent) (segment titled "Mae and others") (undated), an elderly woman and beaded moccasins (silent) (undated), men meeting in front of City Hall (silent) (segment titled "Gold/City Hall") (undated), women playing homemade drums (sound) (segment titled "Dumbek Drum") (undated), women talking (silent) (segment titled "Pioneer Home interview") (undated), a beekeeper being interviewed (sound and silent) (undated), the aftermath of a car accident (silent) (segment titled "Car Crash Lacey Street") (undated), kids on a playground and in a classroom (sound) (segment titled ("Hunter School") (undated), trees (silent) (segment titled "Herbicides") (undated), construction (sound) (segment titled "Build Old Folks Home") (undated), a man driving a Sourdough fuel truck (silent) (undated), a girl on a scale (silent) (undated), a man talking (silent) (segment titled "Jack") (undated), a woman talking on a phone for a modular home commercial (sound) (segment titled "Mobile Homes") (undated), Fairbanks aerial views, and pipeline construction scenes (silent and sound) (undated).

: [KTVF news stories, interviews, dog mushing, softball, forest fires]; 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. The footage includes a man speaking at a banquet about the need for action (title of segment is "University of Alaska President Hiatt") (undated) (sound), Pan Am officials being interviewed at an airport about a New York to Tokyo flight stopping at Fairbanks and tracing the route pioneered by Charles and Anne Lindbergh (title of segment is "Ted Lehme") (undated) (sound), men and women at dinner and at a painting class (titles of segment is "People: North Star Council on Aging") (undated) (silent), a dog musher being interviewed about travel by dogsled along the Trans-Alaska Pipeline route (title of segment is "People: Red Ohlsen") (undated) (sound), a man being interviewed about borough and city government structure (title of segment is "People: Wally Droz") (undated) (sound), boat views and a woman being interviewed aboard a boat (segment is titled "Smith") (undated) (silent), men playing pool (segment is titled "Gov. Hammond") (undated) (sound), views of people in downtown Fairbanks, men in scuba gear running through the street and into the Pantry Market, men swimming in the Chena River (segment is titled "Pantry Outs") (undated) (silent), children exploring a library (undated) (silent), views of DJs at work in the booth at the KFRB radio station in Fairbanks (segment is titled "Highways") (1971) (sound and silent), members of the Fairbanks Softball Association presenting a jacket to borough representative J. Carlson who then hits and throws a softball (undated) (sound), and aerial views of a wildfire and smoke (undated) (silent).

: [KTVF news stories, miscellaneous clips, 1977 North American Sled Dog Race, Samuelson interview, UAF fire station, sprint cars]; 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 about insulation and heating costs and building design, interior and exterior views of an automobile showroom (sound) (undated), crowds at a dog race (sound) (undated), elaborate parkas worn by a woman and child (sound) (titled "1977 North American Parka Show"), spectators lined up along a fence (sound) (titled "North American Race Spectators") (undated), starting line views, spectators, dog handlers, people waxing sled runners (sound) (titled "1977 North American") (undated), Moe Samuelson being interviewed, Samuelson pointing at a map of a river and talking about the Yukon 800 boat race (sound) (undated), an official being interviewed about homeowner's insurance policies, views of the University of Alaska fire station and fire trucks (sound) (titled "Sheltor Fire Chief") (undated), and sprint car race scenes (silent) (undated).

: [KTVF news stories, miscellaneous KTVF clips, construction, beauty pageant, auction, baseball]; 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 putting rolls of insulation in a wall, a title screen saying "Division of Energy and Power Development - Anchorage Alaska," close-up views of a gas pump, a man pumping gas/heating oil (silent and sound) (undated), representative Andy Warwick being interviewed about his thoughts on Alaska's future (sound) (undated), semi-trucks loaded with construction supplies traveling along a gravel road (silent) (undated), dancers on a stage, a drummer and a guitarist, a beauty pageant with women in swimsuits and evening gowns, the pageant winner being crowned and interviewed (silent) (undated), Tim Wallace of the Fairbanks Native Association and a member of the State Chamber speaking at a Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce meeting (sound) (undated), an auction, a sign with the date "1977," rows of bulldozers being sold (silent) (undated), people building a boardwalk and trail through the woods (silent) (undated), men in an office doing paperwork and filling out a logbook (silent) (titled "Truckers") (undated), a baseball game, players in Alaska baseball uniforms (silent) (titled "Wichita") (undated), building construction, traffic, road construction (silent) (undated), people packing gear, an archaeological dig site, a man being interviewed about archaeological finds, people digging, and people holding up objects (sound) (undated).

: [KTVF news stories, miscellaneous KTVF short clips, pipeline, fine arts classes]; 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 being taken to a hospital, men in hospital rooms, aerial views of Fairbanks, people discussing building plans, a city view, pipeline construction scenes (silent) (undated), views of a Fairbanks dump, an official being interviewed about a dump closure (poor quality sound) (undated), harbor scenes, wreckage along a shore, a Seward Fisheries building, people fishing along a shore, a hospital, a river and waterfall (unrelated sound) (titled "Seward") (September 25, 1972), Golden Days activities, Fairbanks scenes (sound and silent) (undated), city officials meeting (silent and sound) (undated), people taking swimming lessons, a Middle-Eastern drum class, a guitar class, a Middle-Eastern dance class, interviews with instructors (silent and sound) (undated), a family picnic, a man washing a car (silent) (undated), views of a North Pole refinery facility, a reporter speaking about winterizing procedures at a refinery (sound) (undated), people being interviewed about elderly students taking TVCC classes, and Middle-Eastern dance class scenes (sound) (undated).

: [KTVF news stories, miscellaneous sports clips, Yukon 800]; 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 the Yukon 800 Marathon start/finish sign along the Chena River in downtown Fairbanks, boats on the river, spectators watching the race, aerial view of boats, people boarding a Wien Airlines flight, boats in Galena, view from a boat on a river, interviews at the finish line (silent) (undated), dogs pulling a freight sled up a snowy mountainside, men and a sled crossing over crevasses (silent) (titled "KOMO-TV Dog Sled") (undated), basketball game scenes at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (silent) (titled "Old U of A basketball") (undated), spectators watching as marathoners cross the finish line at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (silent) (titled "Marathon Race") (undated) (According to Equinox Marathon expert Matias Saari in 2012, the portion titled "Marathon Race" shows scenes from the 1975 Equinox Marathon - Saari identified Stan Justice wearing a hiker's bib in Justice's first Equinox Marathon, and fifth-place finisher 16-year-old Kent Karns), a woman being interviewed about the dog mushing race after crossing the finish line (sound) (titled "Mona Pardue finish") (undated), views of mushers (silent) (undated), a medal ceremony for the Special Olympics, spectators (silent) (titled "Special Olympics") (undated), a mushing clip with actor Jamie Farrell (sound) (titled "M.A.S.H. Promo") (undated), and views of Fairbanks cold weather activities including dog mushing, cabin building, playing basketball, shooting at a rifle-range, swimming, snow-machining, Native Olympics, etc. (silent and sound) (undated).

: [KTVF news stories, Pioneers Home, social services, military exercises]; 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 views of Fairbanks Pioneers Home, men and women playing pool and reading and doing craft projects, children meeting with residents, women talking about the facility and residents (undated) (sound), views of the Tundra Copter helicopter taking off as well as flying and landing (undated) (silent), views of the Island Counseling and Resource Exchange Building, men and women being interviewed about the counseling process (undated) (sound), a couple being interviewed (segment titled "Social Services Marriage Counseling") (undated) (silent), a woman (segment titled "Social Worker") (undated) (silent), a woman filling out paperwork (segment titled "Adoption Jane") (undated) (silent), an interview (segment titled "Assistant Attorney General") (undated) (silent), elderly men and women in a painting class, eating a meal, and bowling (segment titled "North Star Council on Aging") (undated) (silent), a boy leaving a house, crossing a street, and returning home (segment titled "Mt. McKinley Bank spot") (undated) (silent), views of Fairbanks Security dispatch, cars responding to an alarm (undated) (silent), views of water damage in a building (undated) (silent), an airplane at an airport, men and women at the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, people touring Alaska communities (undated) (silent), men being interviewed about a possible move of Alaska's capital from Juneau (undated) (sound), military exercises, a parachute drop, and helicopters (undated) (silent).

: [Lecture on shamanism]; AAF-13168 is a 1/2-inch open reel videotape with the label torn off. It contains scenes of a man lecturing about shamanism in the Bering Sea area, shamanism in general, and medicine practices.

: [Lecture on the teaching of reading]; AAF-13178 is a 1/2-inch open reel videotape labeled "ED 331 - Teaching of Reading, no date Tape VII - Ann Gillian." An instructor talks about linguistics and the teaching of reading. In the final two minutes, another presenter talks about rural education in Alaska and how regional high schools might slow the out-migration of young people from villages to cities.

: [Scenes from a rural Alaska classroom]; AAF-13166 is labeled "PIA" on the remains of a partial label on the videotape. It contains classroom scenes from a middle school or elementary school and features students reading and an instructor teaching students about photography and cameras.

: [Student panel presentation for psychology class]; AAF-13171 is a 1/2-inch open reel videotape labeled "Educational Psychology Tape 4." It contains scenes of a panel presentation about the psychology of learning.

: [Student panel presentation for psychology class]; AAF-13170 is a 1/2-inch open reel videotape labeled "Educational Psychology Tape 2, Dr. D. Whitmore AMU 1st dub 40 min." It contains scenes of a panel presentation by instructors and/or college students about Freud's influence on education theory.

: [Student study group]; AAF-13183 is a 1/2-inch open reel videotape with the labels torn off. It contains scenes of a group of college students working on logic problems and homework.

: [Trucker film out-takes, Pump Stations 1 and 6, North Pole Refinery, Valdez tankers, Pump Station 8 explosion]; 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 the profile of a truck cab, a man and woman (identified in notes accompanying film as "John and Joan") at a cabin and pouring coffee, a man driving a truck, a man and woman at a cabin, dust on a road, a passing truckload of pipe, a sunset, trucks, a man ("John T."), a truck and sunset, trailer chains, the moon and trees, a Texaco sign, trucks on a road, a trucker ("John"), the Haul Road in winter, Sunset Strip, men drinking coffee, pipes being unloaded from a truck, more truck views, Sam's Place, a man talking (silent), a truck on a road ("Hess Creek"), aerial views of a pump station ("Pump Station 6"), a pipeline crossing the Koyukuk River, aerial views of a pump station ("Pump Station 1"), a pipeline and snowy landscape, a truck hauling pipe, a BP official being interviewed about caribou crossing systems along the pipeline (sound), aerial views of a refinery ("North Pole Refinery, September 23, 1977"), people celebrating around bonfires ("Valdez Bonfire"), the tanker "Arco Juneau" in Valdez, and a man being interviewed briefly about Alaska transportation systems (sound). The next segment of film was labeled "Pump Station 8 Explosion" and contains footage of police stopping traffic on a road, a smoke plume at a pump station, and firefighters working at the scene. The final segment of film contains footage of pipeline sections being hauled by railroad cars.

Alaska Film Archives

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