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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 11 of 11 Objects
[1947 Nalukataq whale feast at Barrow]
[1947 Nalukataq whale feast at Barrow]
Reed Bovee interviewed filmmaker Bill Bacon in 2010, and the following information about these films is based on Bovee's notes from that interview: “Barrow, Nulakatuk, 1947. After a successful whaling season they have a Nulakatuk celebration which is to celebrate the parting of the whales soul so there is no hard feeling to the whales so they will come again the next year. All the whaling captains get together and have this celebration and if there are a lot of whales killed that season they may have two or three celebrations on different days.", From the Alaska Film Archives, Elmer E. Rasmuson Library, University of Alaska Fairbanks., From the William W. Bacon III collection. APR Collection Number 2015-203., AAF-20,079 transferred in 2016 by Reflex Technologies of Burbank, California, to Blu-ray Disc, DVD, and Mac-format external hard drive. Some light and color corrections may have been applied to Blu-ray disc and DVD by Reflex Technologies., Filmmaker's original labeling scheme has film AAF-20,079 numbered as Bacon 17, and titled “1947 Nulakatuk Whale Feast, Barrow.” Film contains scenes of whale and muktuk being distributed at the Nalukataq whale feast at Barrow, people eating and celebrating, blanket toss, men in military uniforms, Alaska Native dancers and drummers, children running and chasing after large vehicle, and more blanket toss.
[1988 ivory carver; BIMA dredge at Nome]
[1988 ivory carver; BIMA dredge at Nome]
The filmmaker's original labeling scheme has film AAF-20,005 numbered as Bacon 1-01 and titled "Eskimo carver with old bold [bow] drill: WP [workprint]-100 feet." AAF-20,005 has not yet been digitized - it is the workprint for AAF-20,006, which the filmmaker's original labeling scheme has numbered as Bacon 1-02 and titled, "1988 ivory carver with drill in mouth: ECN [Eastman Color Negative]-100 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].
[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].
[Alyeska start-up]
[Alyeska start-up]
Images include the press and TV crews at Prudhoe Bay waiting for oil to start flowing into the Trans-Alaska Pipeline on June 20, 1977 as well as scenes inside a control room and aerial views of Prudhoe Bay facilities. See AAF-20,001 -- AAF-20,002 for associated items. 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 108 - 1 large reel, 2 medium reels, 1 photo and a magazine article - Start-up at pig launcher. This is the first time they put oil in the pipeline. They put a pig in the pipe first and in it was an electronic device that could detect where the oil was. You could walk along and hear the pig pinging, and they had instruments that could pick it up to track it when it went underground. Bill was the only one allowed inside the pump station because he worked for Alyeska. There were TV crews from all over the world to film this and he was the only one allowed in. Bill was in there filming, and the oil started to come into the pump station, and all of the sudden oil started coming in and spraying all over the station. This guy that worked in there yelled at Bill, 'Does that camera run on electricity?' And Bill answered, 'Yes sir.' He yelled back, 'Shut it off,' so Bill did and he said, 'What the hell is the matter?' The guy said, 'One spark and this whole place blows to kingdom come - you don’t realize but that crude oil has everything in it - it has gas and everything in it, so it will blow this thing to hell.' Once they cleaned it up a little, they let him film again, and he got film of them cleaning it up. The man in the pump station said, 'Mark my words before this oil gets to Valdez someone is going to get killed,' and sure enough someone did. There was a leak in the pipe, and they did not shut off all the electrical stuff, and the thing blew up. No one knows why, but it happened."
[Bill Bacon KAKM interview]
[Bill Bacon KAKM interview]
KAKM-TV interview with filmmaker Bill Bacon on the program "Something to Say." Program 110. Recorded on November 24, 1980. Air date was December 18, 1980. Produced and hosted by Carroll Hodge, and produced and directed by Ron Eagle. Copyright 1980 KAKM. Bacon talks about filming wildlife, Walt Disney, overcoming camera challenges, doing stunt work, working on Mount McKinley (Denali) with dog teams, his early life in Pennsylvania, his experiences after being in the Navy during World War II, meeting pilot Douglas “Wrong Way” Corrigan, his arrival in Alaska, learning the art of filmmaking, being a freelance filmmaker, operating cameras in cold weather, working for the Alaska Oil and Gas Association, communicating between Alaska Natives and oil companies, filming scenes of whaling for the Eskimo Whaling Commission, his support of subsistence hunting, and being stranded on the St. Augustine volcano.
[Dredge, Nome]
[Dredge, Nome]
The filmmaker's original labeling scheme has film AAF-20,084 numbered as Bacon 19-2, and it's titled, "Dredge: 600 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 19 - 2 Medium Reels - To do with the mining in Nome 1988." [Note that description information for AAF-20,008 was likely intended for AAF-20,083 -- AAF-20,084 as follows: "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."]
[Haines, totem poles, etc. 2]
[Haines, totem poles, etc. 2]
The filmmaker's original labeling scheme has AAF-20,055 numbered as Bacon 12-2, and titled "Haines, Sue Silver Carver: 50 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: "...Silver carver and more inside the Whale House..."
[Hanes, totem poles, etc. 7]
[Hanes, totem poles, etc. 7]
The filmmaker's original labeling scheme has AAF-20,061 numbered as Bacon 12-9, and it's titled "Haines, Indian craft center, Carl Heinmiller: ECN [Eastman Color Negative]-200 feet." See AAF-20,004 for an associated item originally labeled Bacon 12-5. 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 12 - 9 Reels, 1 black & white picture - Picture in box of Carl Heinmiller dancing. Picture doing the bear dance. Whale House clan at Klukwan inside Whale House. Different upright poles; they had moved the old Whale House. They had four posts and one was a Strong Man Totem that describes a man pulling a killer whale apart and his father fell out of the whale. A Girl and Worm Totem pole; she was put into the totem pole to save until she became eligible for the chief to marry. She wanted to get out so a worm came along and ate all around the wood so she could escape. Potlatch trough was a huge log approximately 30 feet long. They dug all the wood out, carved it with head on the front, legs on the back and that is where they put all the food for a potlatch. Silver carver and more inside the Whale House. Miner gal with gold, air shots of Fort Seward in Haines, shots along the Lynn Canal, work in Indian Craft Center, fishing at Haines, people come there and fly fish. Chilkat River, Klukwan Village."
[Kotzebue]
[Kotzebue]
The filmmaker's original labeling scheme has film AAF-20,085 numbered as Bacon 20-1, and it's titled "Kotzebue, fish camp, museum drummers, blanket toss, ivory carver, tundra, Alaska Airlines: WP[workprint]-1,100 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 20 - 2 Large Reels - The Hotel used to be the Alaska Airlines Hotel." Notes accompanying the reels are as follows: "Reel 1 - WP, ECL, Kotzebue, cutting up salmon, fish camp, Dave’s family, interior museum drummers –- dance blanket toss, tourist fish camp, Eskimo man talking about his childhood, tundra long shot, ivory carver with bracelet, waterfront exterior of museum building, exterior of hotel, Front Street fisherman, scenes of over bay, tourist getting off of Alaska airliner, museum stuffed animals, tourists going from bus into museum, Eskimo woman with baby on back, museum hallway."
[Pipeline, South Atigun Pass]
[Pipeline, South Atigun Pass]
This film contains very grainy and static images of the Trans-Alaska pipeline, a washed out culvert along the road, and a distant shot of a vehicle traveling along the Haul Road.
Trial of the Jeff A
Trial of the Jeff A
The filmmaker's original labeling scheme has AAF-20466 numbered as Bacon 132-02 and titled “B wind dupe neg, Brian Production, ‘Trial of the Jeff-A’: DN-800 feet." It contains scenes of the hovercraft "Jeff A" in operation in the Harrison Bay area of Alaska's North Slope in winter, repair and testing of the craft, and interviews with officials related to the project. Ballad of the "Jeff A" is written and sung by Karsten Rodvik.