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.

: [1982 Valdez Winter Carnival and winter activities]; Footage includes 1982 Valdez Winter Carnival scenes including families on a sled hill, snowmachines, Valdez scenes, a man and woman being interviewed (silent), church, and more snowmachines. Valdez winter activities include scenes of people playing baseball on snowshoes, totem pole sculptures, the Valdez harbor, and people in costumes jumping off a boat and swimming.

: [1988 ivory carver; BIMA dredge at Nome]; The filmmaker's original labeling scheme has film AAF-20,008 numbered as Bacon 1-04 and titled "BIMA dredge: ECN,ECL-1,200 feet." 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 1 - 3 Small Reels, 1 Large Reel - Kotzebue, Nome, Original reels and Work Prints. BIMA is a floating dredge. Huge dredge was digging up gold bearing sand off Nome. Also other shots of Nome on same reel, ivory carver Pat, close up of head shots of dogs, dog team packed with dogs, tourists panning for gold and riding dog sleds, breakwater, tug and barge coming into channel, Front Street of Nome, ivory shop cut in to ivory carver, downtown Nome, the Nugget Inn on Front Street of Nome, Dredge 5 working." [Note that this description does not entirely match actual footage on reels - it is likely that portions of this description were meant for AAF-20,084].

: Alaska Review 61; Alaska Review examines problems associated with intensive use of the Kenai River in Alaska and the conflict between commercial and sport fishermen. Topics discussed include loss of salmon habitat, erosion along the river bank, and disturbances caused by boat wakes. Those interviewed include: Paul Ruesch, fisheries biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game; Bob Penny, chairman of the Kenai River Sportfishing Association; Bix Bonney, member of the Kenai River Sportfishing Association; Jim Evenson, commercial fisherman; Melvin Johnson, commercial fisherman; Stan Thompson, Kenai Peninsula Borough mayor; Harry Gaines, fishing guide; Christopher Estes of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game; Bill Long, hydrologist with the Alaska Department of Natural Resources; Neil Johannsen, director of Parks for the Alaska Department of Natural Resources; Jeff Jefferson, president of the Kenai River Advisory Board; Sharon Jean (?) of the Kenai River Advisory Board; and Alaska Governor Bill Sheffield. The program includes views of fishermen in small boats and standing on the banks of the Kenai River, people posing with salmon, recreational vehicles along a river, combat fishing, fish traps in use during Alaska's territorial days, fish netting, an annual meeting of the Board of Fisheries, sonar fish counter, biologists tagging salmon, fish processing facilities, protestors, Cook Inlet, and cabins along the river.

: [Chuck Gray film collection addition 1]; The original reel and can notes for AAF-10075 are: “Shee fishing, 1987 review, miscellaneous Clearwater, and miscellaneous fishing.” The footage includes the Blankenship Trading Post in Kiana, men eating inside a cabin, people fishing from boats, an airplane on skis, men setting beaver traps, an airplane cockpit, men hunting (in Wisconsin?), a tracked vehicle, a cabin home in winter, fishing and river travel in Alaska, a moose, a fox, people dipnetting, airplanes on floats, and a boat with “Kobuk Camp” painted on the side.

: [David and Mike Doxey Film collection 2]; Footage includes a family ice fishing, men with ptarmigan, Summit Lake on Richardson Highway, a cabin, a hunting camp, riverboats, freeze-up and windy winter scenes, snowmachines, camping on Homer Spit, river scenes, grayling fishing, and hunting camp scenes.

: [David and Mike Doxey Film collection 4]; This film is labeled "Hunting 1980, Anaktuvuk 1981, Minto 1981, Yukon 1981." Footage includes a family at a hunting camp, airplanes, a man hand-propping a Super Cub airplane on skis, an airplane in flight and landing on snow, a Cessna on skis landing, men on snowshoes ice fishing, airplanes taking off, aerial view of a Cat train, Mike Doxey and Jerry Halberg travelling by riverboat and pike fishing, a Yukon 800 riverboat, a Cessna floatplane taking off from a lake and returning to land, aerial view of forest fires, travel by riverboat, fishing and a tent camp, ice pans on a river, and a man pulling a fishing net.

: [Dog mushing and travel, Haul Road and skiing 1]; AAF-10401 is made up of several smaller reels of film. Handwritten notes on the original film boxes are as follows: “Dog sledding Alaska M 73/74?” “Coming into Seattle, Wash on jumbo jet, flight back to Fairbanks, snowmobiling with pastor and Roadie in Canwell.” “Chena River.” “B-52 good, Ferrons snow machines.” “Yukon the cat small part of roll.” “Flight to Fort Yukon, Circle, Arctic and cross fox, Lilly, wedding coming out of church – good picture X fox (winter) Atigun Pass, also silver fox gobbler knob, short picture tanker at PS1 flags flying, flying to Fort Yukon with Steve, Bev and I.” “Flight and Wyoming.” “Wyoming, me on horseback, corral.” “Wyoming hunting 3.” This film contains footage of dog mushing near Fairbanks, a helicopter landing, an Alaska Dog Mushers Association and Open North American sign, airplanes and aerial views, snow machines, river travel and an old cabin, a boy fishing, a USAF military airplane, snowmachines, a church, a kitten, aerial views, village scenes, a fox, a wedding, more aerial views, outside travel, Yellowstone National Park, and horseback riding.

: [Ferry, Tenakee Hot Springs, dock]; The filmmaker's original labeling scheme has AAF-20041 numbered as Bacon 10-01 and titled “Ferry Pass-Bys, Tenakee Hot Springs, Dock Ferry.” 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: “Carl Heinmiller repairs mask - He started the saving of the Tlingit culture - Carl was a WWII veteran - He came back and bought the houses for Chilkat at Haines - He bought two or three of the quarters that the army used and had them repaired - State ferry coming into Haines, pass by North Star landing at Skagway, the old pilings at the waterfront at Skagway; that is where the ships used to come in - It is all worn out now - This is where they used to have the dock.” Notes on the film's box that pertain to this film are as follows: “Reel 1: 1986, Original, Ferry pass-by’s, Tenakee hot springs from the water, on ground – flying kites, street scenes, dock ferry, people selling on the dock."

: [Golden Days, Valdez, log home construction, Dawson City 1]; AAF-10409 is made up of several smaller reels of film. Handwritten notes on original film boxes are as follows: “Turnagain arm, Homer Spit, first of Golden Days parade 1989, Bell’s.” “Bell’s, Golden Days Parade 2 1989.” “Bell’s, 1989, Golden Days 3.” “Bell’s, 1989, Smalley Creek Mine.” “Bell’s, 1989, Valdez, Matanuska Glacier.” “Bell’s, 1989, Valdez.” This film contains footage of scenic travels, a large halibut, glacier views, a 1989 Fairbanks parade, Golden Days celebration scenes and parade, a man with a small sluicebox, gold flecks in a pan, calving glaciers, icebergs and seals, an eagle's nest, a waterfall, a dredge, a tour boat, sea otters, glaciers, and icebergs.

: [Haines fishing]; The filmmaker's original labeling scheme has AAF-20045 numbered as Bacon 10-05 and titled “Haines, Fishing, People, Bears, Fish, Mining.” 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: “Carl Heinmiller repairs mask - He started the saving of the Tlingit culture - Carl was a WWII veteran - He came back and bought the houses for Chilkat at Haines - He bought two or three of the quarters that the army used and had them repaired - State ferry coming into Haines, pass by North Star landing at Skagway, the old pilings at the waterfront at Skagway; that is where the ships used to come in - It is all worn out now - This is where they used to have the dock.” Notes on the film box that pertain to this film are as follows: “Reel 5: Haines, fishing – people, bears, fish, mining scenes, scenery, leaving Haines for Skagway, Klukwan.”

: [Kennecott, Eagle, Haul Road scenes, winter trucking and wildlife 1]; AAF-10403 is made up of several smaller reels of film. Handwritten notes on original film boxes are as follows: “1986 Tim Walcott and I flying to P Bay.” “Ketchev plane flying alongside back to Prospect Camp with church people.” “Glacier Bay 1983, excellent falling, Glacier Bay 1.” “Haines eagles, flying to and from Anchorage, Mt. McKinley from air.” “Jim’s river boat, McCarthy, Teklaneka 79.” “End of D. King trip to Isreal – Anchorage, sheep at Glenn Hwy, bear near truck, Bill Chesley wh[?] fishing.” “Good D King and I cutting logs on So Fork, DK landing on So Fork winter time, good pictures at PB on taxi way lots of activity, Good taxi way P Bay, cutting logs with D King.” “Winter view mt from house 6mi, Little at Eagle in Dawson Parade.” “Good activity at Deadhorse Airport P Bay, small sheep, Larissa, beginning of D King logging.” This film contains footage of an airplane and the sign “Jim River DOT,” the pipeline, airplanes, tankers, a fishing boat, seals, calving glaciers, an eagle, mountains at sunset, children with a sled and snowmachine, McCarthy store lodge, Kennicott Glacier and Kennecott Mine, a family boating, dall sheep, a bear at close range trying to climb into a truck, a man chasing a grizzly, a bear and a truck on the Haul Road, cutting up trees, an aircraft, trucking, scenes in Eagle, a helicopter, a sternwheeler riverboat, a parade, and airplanes and trucks at a busy Deadhorse/Prudhoe Bay Airport.

: [Ketchikan]; The filmmaker's original labeling scheme has AAF-20069 numbered as Bacon 14-04 and titled “Ketchikan, Boats, Fish, Float Homes, North Star, Totem.” 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: “Museum of all the old totem poles they could save before they deteriorated - The Rock Oyster Totem is a famous totem pole that shows a guy with his hand caught in the jaws of a giant oyster - Street scenes of Dolly’s at Creek Street - She was a prostitute that lived on Creek Street and there used to be a saying that this is where the men and the salmon come up river to spawn.” Notes on the film box are as follows: “Ketchikan Totem Museum, Nathan Jackson’s carving, trees, rainforest, pulp mill, totem poles, rock oyster totem” and “Reel 4: ECN, marked Original, Ketchikan – salmon derby, boats coming in, weighing fish, state fish check them over, float homes, North Star at dock taking on supplies, Totem Bight, people in the rain, cruise ships, overall shot of boat harbor, IP ‘86, pulp mill, salmon pix on rock, salmon ladder, harbor, street scenes, waterfront from water, people on ferry looking.”

: [Ketchikan, carver Nathan Jackson]; The filmmaker's original labeling scheme has AAF-20071 numbered as Bacon 14-06 and titled “Ketchikan Totem Museum, Nathan Jackson, Pulp Mill.” 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: “Museum of all the old totem poles they could save before they deteriorated - The Rock Oyster Totem is a famous totem pole that shows a guy with his hand caught in the jaws of a giant oyster - Street scenes of Dolly’s at Creek Street - She was a prostitute that lived on Creek Street and there used to be a saying that this is where the men and the salmon come up river to spawn.” Notes on the film box are as follows: “Ketchikan Totem Museum, Nathan Jackson’s carving, trees, rainforest, pulp mill, totem poles, rock oyster totem” and “Reel 6: ECN, marked Original, Ketchikan Totem Museum, Nathan Jackson carving at home, street scenes, tour ships – split level sidewalk, Nathan’s home for dinner, steps, trees, rainforest, pulp mill.”

: [Ketchikan waterfront]; The filmmaker's original labeling scheme has AAF-20070 numbered as Bacon 14-05 and titled “Ketchikan Waterfront, Ferry, Polly's, Pulp Mill.” 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: “Museum of all the old totem poles they could save before they deteriorated - The Rock Oyster Totem is a famous totem pole that shows a guy with his hand caught in the jaws of a giant oyster - Street scenes of Dolly’s at Creek Street - She was a prostitute that lived on Creek Street and there used to be a saying that this is where the men and the salmon come up river to spawn.” Notes on the film box are as follows: “Ketchikan Totem Museum, Nathan Jackson’s carving, trees, rainforest, pulp mill, totem poles, rock oyster totem” and “Reel 5: ECN, marked Original, Ketchikan waterfront from water, ferry dock and docking, street scenes, Polly’s, Creek Street, Totem Bight, Saxman Nathan Jackson, pulp mill, David Jensen.”

: [Tape 1 - Making a skin boat]; Sergei Sovoroff speaks in the Eastern Aleut Nikolski dialect about how skin boats were made, and Nick McGlashin of Akutan translates into English. Continued on Tape 2, AAF-403. See also Aleut Elders Conference 1978 Part 1, AAF-415.

: [Totems, dancing, Prince of Wales Island, fish program]; The filmmaker's original labeling scheme has AAF-20065 numbered as Bacon 13-04 and titled “Totems, Dancing, Prince of Wales Island, Fish Program.” 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: “Bight Saxman Museum and Nathan Jackson family - He is one of the greatest Tlingit artists - He is a carver - Film of him carving on a totem.” Notes on the film box are as follows: “Ketchikan, totem poles, Saxman, Nathan Jackson family - Wrangell, petroglyphs, Chief Shake’s house, town shots” and “Reel 4: ECN, Klawock, Prince of Wales Island, totems, Indian kids dancing, and fish program.”

: [Wrangell scenes]; The filmmaker's original labeling scheme has AAF-20063 numbered as Bacon 13-02 and titled “Wrangell, Petroglyphs, Lumber Mill, Chief Shakes House.” 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: “Bight Saxman Museum and Nathan Jackson family - He is one of the greatest Tlingit artists - He is a carver - Film of him carving on a totem.” Notes on the film box are as follows: “Ketchikan, totem poles, Saxman, Nathan Jackson family - Wrangell, petroglyphs, Chief Shake’s house, town shots” and “Reel 2: Original, ECN, Wrangell, overall shots of town, petroglyphs, Cha Johnson, street scene in rain, lumber mill, and Chief Shake’s house.”

Alaska Film Archives

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