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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: [1967 Fairbanks flood]; This film features what are likely relief efforts during the 1967 Fairbanks flood. A handwritten label on the film box says "Dan[?] airport, Kul[?], Church of God, Westgate, A67, Mom[?], Henry and High school, [?] Day, [?], Flood."

: [1969 North American Sled Dog Championship Race - Fairbanks, Alaska]; These scenes from the 1969 North American Championship Sled Dog Races in Fairbanks, Alaska, filmed by Fairbanks photographer Richard L. Hansen, include: an Alaska Dog Mushers Association sign; a Sled Dog Races Sweepstakes sign; dogs in dog boxes on a truck; a truck with Malamak logos; a man removing dogs from dog boxes and placing dogs in harness; a race board with names including Lombard, Attla, Redington, Shepard, Taylor, Nayokpuk, McDougall, Lake, and Folger; a race announcer; a drum filled with slips of paper for a drawing; spectators watching as the race starts under snowy conditions; a variety of dogs in harnesses; spectators buying and eating cotton candy; close-up views of dogs; a close-up view of a Fairbanks Dog Mushers Association patch on a man’s coat; many people in colorful parkas and boots; dogs rolling in snow; a sign for George Attla sponsored by J.C. Penney Co.; mushers; a truck for Wright's Aurora Huskies; and dogs peeking out of dog boxes on a truck.

: [Aftermath of 1964 earthquake in Anchorage]; This footage shows the aftermath of the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake. Scenes include the severely damaged Government Hill Elementary School, businesses and homes, a yellow house sitting at an angle after the ground had fallen away, damage at the Alaska Sales and Service car dealership, and crushed cars.

: [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 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 sheep and bear]; This footage shows Dall sheep in the hills (focus is soft) and a bear near a river.

: [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 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.

: 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."

: [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."

: [Annabeth Hanlon collection 1]; Footage includes a walking dragline and gold dredge in Ester, travel to Circle City, Indians in Circle showing parkas and furs, the sternwheeler Yukon arriving and passengers disembarking, buildings and scenes around Circle Hot Springs Resort, Eagle Summit, a brief view of the Miller House owners, children clearing snow from a skating rink, and various skating activities including racing and figure skating. Notes accompanying the original film can and box say "mining at Ester, Cripple Creek dragline, dredge, Dorothy Erin (?) go to Circle, Circle Indians, boat at Yukon, birds on road, Indian cemetery, Circle Springs, Miller House, Eagle Summit, Ada Williams, 1937 - Megan Florence and I go to Circle, school festival 1944"

: [Arnie M. Lee and Family collection - 6]; This film is labeled "San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Alaska Hiway [Highway] to Fairbanks” and notes with the film say “Might be Arne Larsen film, Hiway driving Chevy, 1950s Chevy, Fairbanks, Dave Larsen?, Birch Hill, Dragline, Jergen mining, Gold Dredge Ester or Fox, Circle Hot Springs, Jergen and Guri Lealand, San Diego shipyard, zoo, SFO, LAX.” The film contains footage of Alaska Highway travel, the Riverboat Nenana in a dry dock, Aurora Lodge, a panoramic overview of Fairbanks, mining activities, a gold dredge at work, a dragline in operation, a power plant building, a gold dredge in a float pond, a dragline, hydraulic giants, a conveyor belt, a Circle Hot Springs lodge, the Circle Trading Company building, and scenes outside Alaska.

: [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.

: [birch bark container]; Notes on the film reel says "Native woman demonstrates tracing and cutting pattern from small birch bark container."

: [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.

: [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 1]; This footage features a family with babies, cutting up moose meat, and a Golden Days Parade. Notes on the original film can say "September 1963 Glen and kids, cutting moose, July 1968 Golden Days parade, Grandma and Grandpa camping."

: [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.

: [Chuck Gray film collection further addition 7]; This footage features men clearing land with a small John Deere dozer, building a small cabin, and hunting sheep.

: [Collapsed roof on building]; This video shows a building labeled "J & O Drilling," a collapsed building covered in snow, the inside of a collapsed building with the roof of the building resting on a large truck inside, a camper in the collapsed building, and a view of the inside roof of the collapsed building.

: [David and Mike Doxey Film collection 6]; 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.

: [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.

: [Ed Orbeck collection - sports and parades]; This film contains footage of Alaska sporting activities during the 1950s and a 1957 parade in Fairbanks in support of statehood. The original notes from film canisters are as follows: Ladd CLC Baseball 1956, Midnight Sun Baseball 1956, 49ers Bears Football Chicago [note that game is played at Wrigley Field in Chicago], Summit Lodge, Anchorage Baseball Trip 1957; Harding Lake 1957, Oldtimers Dad, Juneau Oldtimers – Franich & Stepovich, John Lawn Mower Expert 1958, Dad Fairbanks Huskies Football 1958, Pre Statehood Parade 1957, Arctic Park Sunday parade; John Beginner Ski Hill 1957, McKinley Park Baseball Picnic 1957, Sharon Playing Softball 1957, High School Bands 1957, Juneau Fishing and Baseball 1957, Moyer Fishing Juneau 1957, Start of House Project 1957, Ketchikan Convention 1957, Totem Poles Ketchikan, Home Arctic Park 1956, Lathrop School, Dog Mushers Races 1956, Dog Mushers Weight Pulls 1956, U of Alaska, Chena Ice Pole, Phillips Field, Snow Shoe Softball 1957, Blanket Toss, John Now an Expert Ski Shots 1958, Sharon Ski Beginner and End 1958, John Hockey 1958, John Skiing 1961.

: [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 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.

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