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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 2 of 2 Objects
Fairbanks Yesterday Today Tomorrow
Fairbanks Yesterday Today Tomorrow
This program presents the history of Fairbanks from its geological formation through 1974. Credits are as follows: host, Dave Geesin; pre-history, Florence Weber; miner, Tim Ames; mining discussion, Dr. Earl Beistline and Bruce Thomas; readings, Mark Bergeson, Pamela Buckway and Tom Duncan; narration, Charles Creamer, Tom Duncan, Don Hering, Clara Rust and Marion Wood; director, Frank Herriott; Hering segment director, Myron Tisdel; producer, Patrick Moore; production assistant, Frank Henry; research, Kit Jensen; cinematography, Mark Badger; graphics, Nancy Van Veenen; audio, Tom Saxton; video, Dave Walstad and John Reisinger; production, Carolyn Dowling, Pat Fitzgerald, John Ryan, Jim Schneider and Pat Thrasher; photos provided by Mrs. V.K. Brickley, CamerAlaska, Fabian Carey, William Cashen, Florence Collins, Roger Cotting, Mary Hansen, Nelson’s Studio, University of Alaska, and United States Air Force; furnishings provided by Nerlands; parka provided by Martin Victor Furs; produced through the facilities of KUAC-TV and the Division of Media Services at University of Alaska.
[Reindeer, Barrow, seal hunt, Nome]
[Reindeer, Barrow, seal hunt, Nome]
This is a compilation of Eskimo activities from several Van Valin films, and it contains some brief scenes that are not present on other films in the series. Footage includes reindeer herding as well as life and activities in Nome. Summary: Footage includes a reindeer round-up, herders examining ear tags, reindeer being butchered, a man's hair being cut (koocheeruk) with a stone knife and wooden board, mail arriving from Kotzebue, snow house construction, dance movements, people going to church during Easter in Barrow, traditional sod houses during winter and summer, a skin tent, a King Eider duck, a man in a kayak, a village dance, boats with sails, seal hunting (patkotak), hauling a seal across an ice pack and pressure ridges, sled dogs hauling a bearded seal up on beach, Eskimos skinning a bearded seal (oogruk), seals being butchered and meat being transported by dog sled, a sled dog eating a dead dog, a midnight sun sequence, supplies hauled in an umiak, a blanket toss, a whaling festival and celebration (nalukutuq). Footage in Nome includes lightering people to shore, beach mining, racing dogs in Nome, Sinuk River, towing an umiak, salmon fishing, pipe smoke, drying salmon, and a kayak frame.