1. Browse Repository
  2. Alaska Film Archives

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
Children of Akiachak
Children of Akiachak
This film was produced by the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs, Juneau Area Office, to examine the pilot study of a community child development program in the Alaska village of Akiachak. The bilingual program trained parents to use various methods for teaching their own preschool children. The program emphasized development of language and motor skills in preparation for elementary school.
Education in Eskimo
Education in Eskimo
AAF-14564 and AAF-14565 are films that contain identical scenes with AAF-14564 narrated in English and AAF-14565 narrated in Yupik. The film was produced by the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs, Juneau Area Office, to demonstrate approaches to bi-lingual education in Alaska. The program contains scenes of daily life and school in Akiachak, Alaska, along the lower Kuskokwim River. Teachers are shown instructing students of various ages and are interviewed about the process of providing education in both Yupik and English. The film also contains scenes of people hauling water in winter, girls using story knives, people listening to a radio, men repairing a snowmachine, boys with a dog team, students saying the Pledge of Allegiance in school, and men and women at a school board meeting. University of Alaska educators and local instructors create new instructional materials. Students sing a song to the tune of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” in Yupik. The film credits list the following names: teachers Mary Ann Lomack, Molly Lomack, and Bernadine Featherly; technical assistants Anna Alexie, Sophie Parks, Marie Nick, Elizabeth Worm, Molly Lomack, Susan Smalley, Mary Ann Lomack, Bernardine Featherly, and Mary Perela; consultants Warren Tiffany and Walter T. Featherly of the BIA and Irene Reed of University of Alaska Eskimo Language Workshop; narrator Marx Hartman; sound technician Lauchy McMillan; writer Richard Hawk of University of Washington; cameraman and editor Thomas Williams; and producer and director Donald J. Morrow. Local community members identified the following individuals in 2018: Actor Henry Lomack, translators Pascal Afgan and Ted Brink, and Yup’ik narrator Rev. Teddy Brink.
[Geophysical Institute at UAF]
[Geophysical Institute at UAF]
Footage includes an unidentified speaker explaining the method for dating rocks used at the institute and how this information is used by geologists. An unidentified man also explains seismic recording equipment.
[Juneau, Hogatza, and Delta]
[Juneau, Hogatza, and Delta]
Footage includes Juneau streets and a news story about construction in Juneau, children practicing for a play, a post office and buildings in Hogatza, an elderly couple in a greenhouse, aerial views of rafts during the raft race from Fairbanks to Nenana, school buildings, and students in Delta.
[KTVF news stories, Anchorage airport construction, dredge]
[KTVF news stories, Anchorage airport construction, dredge]
Some segments of film contain audio, and others are silent. Specific dates and other information noted on the original film are given here in parentheses. Footage includes a short clip of man speaking about his decision to run for state government (no date or description) (sound), hospital patients going through rehabilitation (segment is titled "Exercise") (no date) (silent), a woman talking (no date or description) (silent), children talking to a man in a Santa Claus costume (no date or description) (silent), people at a meeting, a Civil Air Patrol airplane (segment is titled "Migliaccio Film") (no date) (silent), views of a tower and parking lot at the Anchorage airport, airplanes taxiing to a terminal, Anchorage scenes, construction scenes (no date) (silent), men working on utility poles (segment is titled "MUS Update") (August 2, 1973) (silent), boats in a harbor (segment is titled "Places - Sitka Boat Harbor") (no date) (silent), scenes from aboard the fishing boat Anna J, a bumper sticker that says "Stop Foreign Fish Pirates" on a vehicle belonging to a state legislator, Pioneer Home residents (segment is titled "Fishing Boat, Pioneer Home outs") (no date) (silent) a promotion video for a program about the Hogatza gold dredge, one of the last large operating dredges in Alaska (July 20, 1971) (sound), a man playing banjo, a man in a dog yard talking about his support of Steve Cowper for state government, Steve Cowper walking through snow (no date) (sound), women in an exercise class (no date or description) (silent), a woman talking about her life as a legislator living aboard a houseboat in Juneau (segment is titled "Sally Smith") (no date) (sound), a commercial for Piccadilly wigs in the basement of the Arctic Bowl building in Fairbanks (no date) (sound), a disc jockey at work in a radio studio (segment is titled "Chuck Benson R.B. Request Line") (no date) (silent), a brief clip of a woman being interviewed about a sled dog race (segment is titled "Roxi Brooks") (no date) (sound), Jim Kowalski being interviewed about his organization's suit against the Alyeska Pipeline company as well as about his thoughts on the opening of the pipeline and Haul Road (no date) (sound), construction scenes at the Fairbanks airport, a new tower being constructed (no date) (silent), Steve Cowper standing near pipeline construction materials and speaking about impact funding (no date) (sound), Fairbanks firefighters (no date or description) (silent), church services at Eielson Church of Christ (no date) (silent), men and women in Golden Days costumes (no date) (silent), views of a backyard pool, a woman cleaning a pool, a water slide (segment is titled "Rees Pool") (no date) (silent), Steve Cowper talking about his candidacy for Alaska State House (no date) (sound), and ice fog in and over Fairbanks (no date) (silent).
[KTVF news stories, miscellaneous KTVF short clips, Geophysical Institute monitoring Amchitka nuclear test, feminist interviews]
[KTVF news stories, miscellaneous KTVF short clips, Geophysical Institute monitoring Amchitka nuclear test, feminist interviews]
Some segments of film contain audio, and others are silent. Specific dates and other information noted on the original film are given here in parentheses. Footage includes a very brief clip of Emperor Hirohito of Japan speaking at a podium next to U.S. President Richard Nixon (silent) (undated), a small fire being monitored (silent) (undated), scientists at the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks monitoring seismic waves from an Amchitka Island nuclear test (sound) (undated), elementary school children performing a play and being interviewed (sound) (undated), an overview of Alaskaland, a man being interviewed about Fairbanks's poor tourist ratings (sound) (undated), women being interviewed about feminism, breast cancer, beauty pageants, equal rights, the new Fairbanks Chapter of the National Organization for Women, and other topics (sound) (undated), scenes from the third annual raft race on the Tanana River (sound) (undated), and interviews at the finish line of the raft race (sound) (undated).
[KTVF news stories, pipeline, hospital, Valdez]
[KTVF news stories, pipeline, hospital, Valdez]
Some segments of film contain audio, and others are silent. Specific dates and other information noted on the original film are given here in parentheses. Footage includes semi-trucks loaded with pipeline sections and construction equipment at nighttime (sound) (undated), airport and university firemen being interviewed about a hangar fire at the Fairbanks International Airport (sound) (undated), a man being interviewed about emergency surgery rooms, labs, and other facilities at the new Fairbanks Memorial Hospital (sound) (titled "Hospital Tour") (January 30, 1972), views of the Worthington Glacier, Thompson Pass, waterfalls, a boat and crab pots, a KTVF van, the Valdez harbor, charter boats and people fishing, a Valdez pipe storage yard, the site of the future pipeline terminus and tank farm, Harry Henderson's grave, and people talking about pipeline activity in Valdez and the 1964 earthquake (sound) (undated), the University of Alaska Fairbanks physical plant, a reporter talking about the installation of a new water tank and the overhaul of the university water system (sound) (titled "Tank") (1972), people touring an empty building (silent) (titled "Hospital") (September 6, 1972), views of students and the campus at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (silent) (titled "U of A Open") (September 6, 1972), a man being interviewed about TVCC classes, a man playing a drum, a man playing guitar, and women being interviewed about Middle Eastern dancing or a belly-dancing class (sound) (undated).
[KTVF news stories, Ted Stevens speech, Fort Wainwright, ice-fishing]
[KTVF news stories, Ted Stevens speech, Fort Wainwright, ice-fishing]
Some segments of film contain audio, and others are silent. Specific dates and other information noted on the original film are given here in parentheses. The footage includes students and staff at the University of Alaska Fairbanks being interviewed about the possible granting of a liquor license to the UAF Pub on campus, a view of a sign encouraging people to write letters of support for a pub (undated) (sound), Senator Ted Stevens speaking about land claims issues (March 25, no year listed) (sound), firefighters fighting a fire (segment titled "House Fire") (undated) (silent), firefighters battling a nighttime blaze (segment titled "Sigwold Fire") (undated) (silent), several Fairbanks businessmen being interviewed about troop cutbacks at Fort Wainwright and possible impacts to the Fairbanks economy (segment titled "CARP/Fort Wainwright Reaction") (undated) (sound), a reporter interviewing men and women about a Model U.N. (undated) (sound), people being interviewed about the training of enumerators for Alaska villages, interviews about the process of Native Enrollment in Alaska (March 30, no year listed) (sound), men and women being interviewed about school budget issues (segment titled "CARP/School Budget") (undated) (sound), a man being interviewed about a direct distance dialing system for out-of-state phone calls from Fairbanks (segment titled "Chiei [?] - RCA") (undated) (sound), ice fishing techniques being demonstrated on snow-covered lake (segment titled "KTVF Sports Special: Maureen Chipman-Cerny [?]") (undated) (silent), race boats on a river (undated) (silent), automobiles racing on a track (undated) (silent), a man in a granny costume goes to a knitting supply store in commercial for The Knitting Center (segment titled "Granny Hamme series - Alaska Press Club Category #37 - Entrant Gary B. Miller Chief Photographer KTVF") (undated) (silent), a man in a Santa suit and scuba gear diving into a pool, scenes of a military radar station, and military jets tracking Santa's location (segment titled "Swimming Santa/Tracking Santa") (undated) (silent).
[KTVF news stories, UAF construction, high school graduations, raft race]
[KTVF news stories, UAF construction, high school graduations, raft race]
Some segments of film contain audio, and others are silent. Specific dates and other information noted on the original film are given here in parentheses. The footage includes a man talking about stamps commemorating the U.S. Postal Service, scenes of workers sorting mail, a Fairbanks post office building (1973) (sound), a panel of people discussing economic development in Fairbanks (segment titled "Development Hearing" (May 3, 1973) (sound), a child's hearing being tested at the Fairbanks Public Health Clinic (May 5, 1973) (sound), artwork being displayed, a banquet, Dr. William Wood and others speaking (segment titled "University") (May 5, 1973) (silent), a warning sign about poison used at a dump (segment titled "Rat Poison") (May 7, 1973) (silent), a display about library service cuts at the Fairbanks library (May 8, 1973) (silent), women looking at and talking about Alaskan artwork (May 8, 1973) (sound), men speaking about founding a group to promote the development of Alaska's natural resources (May 10, 1973) (sound), police and spectators looking at the aftermath of a car and motorcycle collision in downtown Fairbanks (May 10, 1973) (silent), the construction of a bridge over railroad tracks at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (May 12, 1973) (silent), people picking up trash along a roadside (May 12, 1973) (silent), banquet scenes (segment is titled "Host") (May 18, 1973) (silent), people walking along a roadside, road signs for Hillcrest and Yankovich and Lawlor Roads (segment titled "Hope Walk") (May 26, 1973) (silent), a graduation ceremony (segment titled "Monroe Grads") (1973) (silent), soldiers firing howitzers during a Fort Wainwright ceremony (segment titled "Memorial Day") (1973) (silent), race boats going under a Chena River bridge (segment titled "Fairbanks to Nenana Outboard Race") (1973) (silent), a drawing of the Medical and Dental Arts Facility, views of 19th Avenue and the Lathrop Street area (May 29, 1973) (silent), an awards ceremony and banquet (segment titled "Career Ext. Center") (May 3, 1973) (silent), a graduation ceremony (segment titled "Eielson Grad") (May 21, 1973) (silent), a lengthy report about the 1970 raft race from Fairbanks to Nenana on the Tanana River, a reporter interviewing raft crews, and scenes of many colorful and wildly-decorated rafts on the river (1970) (sound).
[KTVF news stories, vocational rehabilitation parts 1 and 2, miscellaneous clips]
[KTVF news stories, vocational rehabilitation parts 1 and 2, miscellaneous clips]
Some segments of film contain audio, and others are silent. Specific dates and other information noted on the original film are given here in parentheses. Footage includes men and women being interviewed about vocational rehabilitation in the Fairbanks area (sound) (titled "Vocational Rehab Parts 1-2") (undated), reporter Larry Holmstrom talking about his friend, State Representative Andy Warwick, and Warwick's bid for lieutenant governor of Alaska (sound) (undated), an interview with State Representative Andy Warwick, candidate for lieutenant governor of Alaska (sound and silent) (undated), and a man being interviewed about oil and gas industry tax issues as well as Andy Warwick (sound) (undated).
[Legislator Andy Warwick interviews fisherman Dick Eliason and pipeline worker]
[Legislator Andy Warwick interviews fisherman Dick Eliason and pipeline worker]
Specific information noted on the original film is given here in parentheses. The film features a man (Andy Warwick) interviewing a fisherman (Dick Eliason) aboard a fishing boat, scenes of mountains and a bay, Sitka's shoreline in the distance, Alaska legislator Andy Warwick being interviewed, a man and a woman with a baby being interviewed in their home (Andy Warwick and wife Judy with reporter Larry), men talking about fisheries' issues in Alaska including the 200-Mile Limit (Andy Warwick and Dick Eliason aboard Eliason's boat), a man in a hardhat being interviewed about diesel fuel storage tanks made out of discarded sections of pipeline, and outtakes from Andy Warwick's campaign materials.