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 Review 14; In the first segment, reporter Eric Eckholm examines the Homestead Initiative, a state proposal to give 30 million acres of state land in 20 and 40 acre parcels to the first people who claim it. Interviewees include: State Representative Mike Bierne; Governor Jay Hammond; unidentified people-on-the-street interviewees; State Representative Oral Freeman; Riley Roberts, Talkeetna homesteader; Wade Roberts, Talkeetna homesteader; Wesley Roberts, Talkeetna homesteader; State Representative Bob Bradley; Ted Smith, director of Land and Water Management; Janet McCabe of the Land Use Planning Commission; Jon Maloney, initiative backer; and Alaska Senator Kay Poland. This segment is repeated with higher video quality in AAF-4963. In the second segment, Fred Machetanz is interviewed about his life and artwork as well as his philosophies about Alaska. This segment is repeated with higher video quality in AAF-4965. In the third segment, reporter Mark O. Badger examines conflicting views concerning future use of the Haul Road, or Dalton Highway, from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay as control of the road passes from the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company to the State of Alaska. Those interviewed include: unidentified interviewees; Fran Ulmer, head of Governor's Division of Policy Development and Planning; Bruce Hart (?) of Juneau, formerly with the Policy Development Office; an unidentified Alaska Native man; State Representative Charlie Parr of Fairbanks; Wally Behr, manager of the Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce; Jim and Elaine Childs, owners of a truck maintenance facility at Prudhoe Bay; Arlo "Smiley" Wells, Haul Road trucker; Don Harris (?), Commissioner of Transportation; an unidentified man, chief and mayor of Allakaket; unidentified men; and Dick Logan (?), chief of the habitat section for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The report contains views of the Haul Road, oil workers, and Alaska Native communities. In the fourth segment, reporter Eric Eckholm explores the changes that took place in the City of Valdez due to the Good Friday Earthquake of 1964 and the arrival and development of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Those interviewed include: John Kelsey, Valdez business owner; Bill Tingley, marine pilot; and Commander Homer Purdy of the U.S. Coast Guard. The report contains views of Valdez, tanker traffic, pipeline terminal facilities, and the Valdez Narrows. The program also contains public service announcements (PSAs) about the National Audubon Society, drug abuse prevention, the Consumer Information Center, and small business.

: Alaska Review 20; The first segment, "Fred Machetanz: An Alaskan Master," is a repeat broadcast from another Alaska Review program (AAF-4959). The second segment, "Blazing Skies," is a repeat broadcast from another Alaska Review program (AAF-4950). The program also contains Public Service Announcements (PSAs) about the Consumer Information Center, social responsibility, and solar energy.

: [Art class]; Film contains scenes of a classroom full of artists sketching and painting as a male model sits in a chair at the front of the classroom. Fred Machetanz sketches and paints, and he instructs other artists at their easels or as they look over his shoulder. Fred Machetanz looks at and talks about a display of sketches, swatches and paintings with labels such as “1935 Alaska Unalakleet” and “Materials, Pigments, Glazing,” etc.

: Films North; Film contains scenes of artist Fred Machetanz beginning work on a painting in his studio, outside in winter stacking firewood, and in his studio finishing a painting of polar bears.

: [Finish glaze work]; Film contains close-up scenes of a 1976 Machetanz painting.

: [Fred and Sara Machetanz]; Film contains scenes of Fred Machetanz working on a 1975 painting and signing his name in the corner, driving on a snowy road, and painting in his studio. This is followed by scenes of Sara Machetanz skiing with a white dog and snow-covered mountains near Palmer.

: [Fred Machetanz]; Film contains scenes of artist Fred Machetanz at work in his studio, sign for “Hilscher Highway – Private Road,” scenes of driving along a snowy road as seen from inside a car, and signs pointing toward Machetanz property.

: [Fred Machetanz outdoors and indoors]; Film contains scenes of Fred Machetanz and another man using a chain saw and ax to fell and cut up trees for firewood, men driving along a snowy road, and Fred Machetanz stacking firewood then painting in his studio

: [Fred Machetanz painting]; Film contains scenes of Fred Machetanz’s studio and the artist at work inside his studio. He uses his fingers to blend color on a painting, draws with charcoal, and applies color to another painting.

: [Fur Rendezvous, dog races, Fairbanks, Anchorage and Matanuska Valley]; Footage includes a merry-go-round and a wolf dance at the Fur Rendezvous, the World Championship sled dog races in Anchorage, the Open North American sled dog races in Fairbanks, Roland "Doc" Lombard with a trophy, giant cabbages, Chilkat dancers in Haines, High Ridge, downtown Fairbanks, the University of Alaska campus in Fairbanks, Dr. Vic Hessler, an ice bridge across University Avenue in Fairbanks, a man tying reindeer to a truck bumper, a fur auction, dog races and an Eskimo Wolf Dance at the Fur Rendezvous, a radar site, soldiers eating a meal in a field during winter, military base housing, berries, harvesting grain, dogs, an Anchorage sign, a small well-drilling truck in High Ridge, Ernest Gruening, a health clinic, a mechanic working on a truck, a ski plane being moved and taking off from High Ridge lake during winter, Sara Machetanz paintings, Traeger Machetanz, a statehood headline, fly fishing, an Air France plane, glaciers in the Southeast, and men taking a canoe upriver to fish for grayling.

: [Machetanz original]; Footage features close-up images of animals and human subjects in Machetanz paintings.

: [Machetanz paintings]; Film contains close-up images of animals and human subjects in Machetanz paintings, including paintings from 1967 and 1970

Alaska Film Archives

About the Collection

SHARE