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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.

1 to 6 of 6 Objects
[1988 ivory carver; BIMA dredge at Nome]
[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].
[Ferry, Tenakee Hot Springs, dock]
[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."
[Ketchikan]
[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]
[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]
[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.”
[Totems, dancing, Prince of Wales Island, fish program]
[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.”