Alaska Film Archives | Archive

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.

first
previous
…
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
next
last

: Talking Alaska: The Priceless Heritage of Alaska's Native Languages - part 10; Dr. Michael Krauss and Jane McGary of the Alaska Native Language Center discuss the history of the Alaska Native Language Center's library and archives. Dr. Krauss also gives a tour of their manuscript holdings. Produced for the Alaska Native Language Center; Irene Reed, 1979, at Media Services, U of A, Anchorage.

: Talking Alaska: The Priceless Heritage of Alaska's Native Languages - part 2; Dr. Michael Krauss of the Alaska Native Language Center continues his presentation about the history and status of Alaska's Native languages. Produced for the Alaska Native Language Center; Irene Reed, 1979, at Media Services, U of A, Anchorage.

: Talking Alaska: The Priceless Heritage of Alaska's Native Languages - part 3; Eliza Jones from Huslia, Mary Polasky from Nulato, Madeline Solomon of Galena, and Curt Madison of Manley Hot Springs discuss the Koyukon Athabascan language. See also AAF-10225, which contains unedited video footage of this segment. Produced for the Alaska Native Language Center; Irene Reed, 1979, at Media Services, U of A, Anchorage.

: Talking Alaska: The Priceless Heritage of Alaska's Native Languages - part 4; University of Alaska Fairbanks graduate student Charles Natkong Sr. of Hydaburg, Linguist Jeff Leer of the Alaska Native Language Center, 90-year-old Selina Peratrovich of Ketchikan, and Haida language consultant Nat Edenso of Craig discuss the Haida language. See also AAF-10224, which contains unedited video footage of this segment. Produced for the Alaska Native Language Center; Irene Reed, 1979, at Media Services, U of A, Anchorage.

: Talking Alaska: The Priceless Heritage of Alaska's Native Languages - part 5; Ron Scollon and Eliza Jones of the Alaska Native Language Center discuss differences between the communication styles of Native Alaskans and non-Natives. Chad Thompson and Mary Polasky also appear in this production. Produced for the Alaska Native Language Center; Irene Reed, 1979, at Media Services, U of A, Anchorage.

: Talking Alaska: The Priceless Heritage of Alaska's Native Languages - part 6; Linguist Dr. James Kari of the Alaska Native Language Center presents an overview of the Dena'ina language and shows several historical photos of the people and villages of the Cook Inlet region. Dr. Kari interviews Native speakers Shem Pete and Billy Pete of Willow. Shem Pete performs the Chikalusion Mourning Song and a Love Song. See also AAF-10224, which contains unedited video footage of this segment. Produced for the Alaska Native Language Center; Irene Reed, 1979, at Media Services, U of A, Anchorage.

: Talking Alaska: The Priceless Heritage of Alaska's Native Languages - part 7; Edna Ageak MacLean of the Alaska Native Language Center and Martha Aiken of Barrow discuss the Inupiaq language as it is spoken in Alaska's North Slope region. Produced for the Alaska Native Language Center; Irene Reed, 1979, at Media Services, U of A, Anchorage.

: Talking Alaska: The Priceless Heritage of Alaska's Native Languages - part 8; Inupiaq Eskimo from the Kobuk River Area to the Seward Peninsula. Linguist Dr. Lawrence Kaplan of the Alaska Native Language Center, Ruthie Sampson, and Irene Katchatag of Unalakleet discuss the Inupiaq language as it is spoken in various areas of Alaska. Produced for the Alaska Native Language Center; Irene Reed, 1979, at Media Services, U of A, Anchorage.

: Talking Alaska: The Priceless Heritage of Alaska's Native Languages - part 9; This program takes place in Arctic Village. Katherine Joseph Peter speaks about her life in Arctic Village and about the Gwich'in or Kutchin Athabascan language. Chief Walter John of Venetie is interviewed about the history of the area and the importance of his Native language. Historic photos are shown. Produced for the Alaska Native Language Center; Irene Reed, 1979, at Media Services, U of A, Anchorage.

: [Television commercial outtakes]; This film includes a series of KTVF television commercial outtakes from Nerland's Home Furnishings in Fairbanks with an unidentified female announcer and Larry Holmstrom, Captain Jim Binkley standing by the Discovery II and giving a political endorsement for Andy Warwick, and Darrell Russell of Russell's Union 76 Station talking about car repairs and working in the garage. Additional silent portions of the film include a man in makeup dressed like a trapper at a campfire and a couple at the Sunset Strip restaurant having dinner and dancing at the bar.

: [The Winter Bear Project promo and documentary]; This is a documentary about The Winter Bear Project i. It includes scenes from a play, associated workshops, and interviews with Brian Wescott, Jessica McGinty, Jeremy Raychel, Anne Hanley, Brittany Smith, Yvonne Wright Adams, Paul Mountain, Debra Naaqtuuq Dommek, Martha Demoski, Clara Peters, and Sidney C. Huntington, with narration by Therisa Bennett. The Winter Bear Project addresses the issue of suicide among young Alaska Natives and attempts to curb the growing trend. The related promo explains The Winter Bear Project and features interviews with Brian Wescott, Jessica McGinty, Paul Mountain, and Martha Demoski. The Winter Bear is a play that tells the story of an Alaska Native teenager who rises above his past traumas to become a leader with the help of mentor Sidney Huntington. The Winter Bear Project combines the play with outreach developed in cooperation with rural Alaskan communities. In September 2014, The Winter Bear Project traveled to six Alaskan villages along the Yukon and Koyukuk Rivers to deliver their message. In the documentary, residents from Ruby, Nulato, and Kaltag share their thoughts on the play’s impact.

: Thinking Cold; AAF-20588 is a film titled “Thinking Cold," an informative program about Husky Oil operations and the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. A film by Pendleton Productions, Inc., of Anchorage Alaska, and presented by Husky Oil N.P.R. Operations, Inc. Directed by George E. Lukens, Jr. Principle photography by George Lukens, Jeff Mart and Bill Bacon. Contains scenes of Alaska's North Slope, maps of Alaska, workers and construction camps, James Dowden and Phil Jeans of Husky Oil, cargo airplanes, mess hall in a construction camp, food service operator Bill Jenkins, administrative coordinator Sally Van Horn, the moving of portable camps across snowy landscape, Arnold Palenske of Tetra Tech, technicians in the field searching for oil drilling sites, geophysics manager Alan Balby, Carroll Livingston of Husky Oil, offices and managers in Anchorage, environmental director John Schindler, caribou, surveyors at work, archaeological workers, archaeologist Mike Kuntz of the Bureau of Land Management, helicopters flying low over the terrain and hauling cargo, oil drills, pipe-yard, airplanes landing on snowy runway, medic Bobbie Hendricks, transportation manager James Schwartz, construction manager Thomas Brooks, construction of ice roads, environmental specialist Philip Smith, installation of drill pad and drill rig, Rolligon, drilling manager Jack McCarthy, geology manager Sam Hewitt, lab and office scenes, and wintry Cat train scenes.

: [Thompson Valdez film]; Footage includes a moving building, buildings in Old Town, signs identifying buildings, burning buildings in Old Town following the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake, ships in the harbor, Alyeska Terminal 1976, a fire across from Port Valdez Hotel, porpoises and a sea otter, a woman getting her hair styled, a fishing boat with an outboard motor, men hauling a dingy aboard, flying over New Town and Old Town, an unidentified man, Old Town after the tsunami, fishermen pulling a crab pot, and a panorama of New Town. Reels of Super-8mm films had been donated to the Valdez Museum by Jim Thompson in 2006, and were officially transferred to the Alaska Film Archives in 2015.

: [Thompson Valdez film 2]; Footage features Prince William Sound winter scenery from airplane, Columbia Glacier, an airplane landing on gravel runway at Valdez Airport, Old Town in May, Port Valdez Motel, Old Town fire, Harolds Rent-A-Truck pulling mobile home, Gold Rush fashion show, women in gowns, Old Town, people moving a building, New Town boat harbor, a boat named “Scrounger Too,” a parade in New Town with a military band, a fire truck, a school bus, a fire in Old Town, aerial views of Old Town and New Town, Pinzon Bar, cafe sign, Switzerland Inn, New Town harbor, Rexall store, Xavier Catholic Church, the police department, the Visitors Bureau, paved roads, Eagles Lodge, Old Town, an abandoned church, people moving the Eagles building, and people moving other buildings and an old church. Reels of Super-8mm films had been donated to the Valdez Museum by Jim Thompson in 2006, and were officially transferred to the Alaska Film Archives in 2015.

: [Time-lapse images of sea ice movement at Barrow 1975 - 1976]; These are time lapse images of sea ice at Barrow, Alaska. See also AAF-11495 and AAF-11496, which contain images and information related to this study. This reel was made up of eight smaller reels of film spliced together onto one reel. Note that four original reels are each followed by duplicate reels. The original boxes are labeled as follows: 1) July 4, 1975 - July 1-4, 1975 - ice came in - feet show effect. 2) July 1-4, 1975 - dup #2 - Barrow ice data. 3) July 4-8, 1975 - Barrow ice data [note that several feet of blank unexposed film was removed from the end of this reel prior to digitizing]. 4) July 4-8, 1975 - Barrow ice data - dup #2 [note that several feet of blank unexposed film was removed from the end of this reel prior to digitizing]. 5) June 24, 1976 - ice moved in [note on film leader had question mark after date as follows: "June 24, 76?"]. 6) June 1976 after 24th June? [note on film leader was as follows: "After June 24, 76 - before Jun 30"]. 7) 1 End June 30, 1976. 8) 1 End June 30, 1976.

: [Totem pole carving, dancing]; The filmmaker's original labeling scheme has AAF-20046 numbered as Bacon 10-06 and titled “Haines, Air Shots, Indian Art Center, Carving Totem Pole and Silver, Ermine Head Dress, Charley Jimmy Painting, Carl Heinmiller Repairing Mask, Dancing.” 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 box that pertain to this film are as follows: “Reel 6: 1986, Work Print, Haines, air shots of Indian, Indian Art Center shop, artist carving totem pole, Sue carving silver, repairing head dress made of Ermine, Charley Jimmy painting, Carl Heinmiller repairing mask, dancing in big hall, dancing outside for Bill special.”

: [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.”

: [Trailers hauled to snowy pipeline camp]; This film contains scenes featuring S.S. Mullen Construction Company equipment, a Caterpillar dealership in Fairbanks, aerial views of the Haul Road, a sign that says "Ice May Be Unsafe - Cross at Your Own Risk - State of Alaska Dept. of Highways," men standing next to a cargo airplane, trucks hauling equipment along a narrow snowy road, aerial views of the Brooks Range and a road, aerial views of trucks on a snowy road, aerial views of a pipeline camp, and trailers being assembled and put into place at the camp.

: 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.

: [Truck on Haul Road]; Footage includes a semi-trailer transporting sections of the Trans-Alaska pipeline along the Haul Road, interior and exterior views of a truck and trailer, pipeline sections being loaded onto a trailer, a semi-trailer traveling on the Haul Road, trucks crossing a bridge, a crane stacking pipeline sections, workers putting pipeline sections on a trailer, and semi-trailers traveling on a road.

: [Trucker Billygoat Wild, Haul Road, Muleskinner's]; Specific dates and other information noted on original film are given here in parentheses. The footage features traffic and semi-trailers on Haul Road, men working on trucks, views of scenery and caribou along Haul Road, Deadhorse or a pipeline camp area, the Yukon Tire Service store (possibly in the Livengood area, according to notes on film), the pipeline mid-construction, a trucker (identified in the notes as "Billygoat" or "Billy Goat"), photos of old trucks, "Welcome to Arctic Circle" signs, pipeline camps and pump stations along Haul Road, mountain scenery, a man changing a tire on a truck, a forklift taking a pipe off of a truck, trucker Billy Goat in a truck cab talking on a CB radio, a cabin and possibly a homestead area (identified in the notes as "Muleskinner's"), a family working together at various activities, old photos, a truck parked under a Fox Roadhouse sign, a man reading a newspaper in a cafe, views of trucks and truckers, cabs at an airport, truckers getting luggage at the airport, a trucker (identified as "Sam Little") with his family, people dancing, trucks hauling pipeline sections, a view of the road from inside a pipeline section on a truck, people dancing at a tavern, Samson's Hardware Store in Fairbanks, Sunset Strip in Fairbanks, and views of highway and Haul Road.

: [Trucker film out-takes, Pump Stations 1 and 6, North Pole Refinery, Valdez tankers, Pump Station 8 explosion]; 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 the profile of a truck cab, a man and woman (identified in notes accompanying film as "John and Joan") at a cabin and pouring coffee, a man driving a truck, a man and woman at a cabin, dust on a road, a passing truckload of pipe, a sunset, trucks, a man ("John T."), a truck and sunset, trailer chains, the moon and trees, a Texaco sign, trucks on a road, a trucker ("John"), the Haul Road in winter, Sunset Strip, men drinking coffee, pipes being unloaded from a truck, more truck views, Sam's Place, a man talking (silent), a truck on a road ("Hess Creek"), aerial views of a pump station ("Pump Station 6"), a pipeline crossing the Koyukuk River, aerial views of a pump station ("Pump Station 1"), a pipeline and snowy landscape, a truck hauling pipe, a BP official being interviewed about caribou crossing systems along the pipeline (sound), aerial views of a refinery ("North Pole Refinery, September 23, 1977"), people celebrating around bonfires ("Valdez Bonfire"), the tanker "Arco Juneau" in Valdez, and a man being interviewed briefly about Alaska transportation systems (sound). The next segment of film was labeled "Pump Station 8 Explosion" and contains footage of police stopping traffic on a road, a smoke plume at a pump station, and firefighters working at the scene. The final segment of film contains footage of pipeline sections being hauled by railroad cars.

: [Trucker in Fairbanks]; A man gets into a Sourdough Freight Lines truck and drives through Fairbanks (several takes).

: [Trucker on Haul Road]; Footage features semi-trailers on the Haul Road in Alaska, the "furthest north" white spruce tree, a road being repaired, a trucker cleaning off his windshield, the Hammond River, Coldfoot Cemetery, semi-trailers on a road in twilight and snow, a trucker driving, an airplane landing on a runway, an Arctic Circle sign, mountains, bridges, pump station signs, and a trucker eating and driving.

: [Trucking in Alaska]; Footage includes a bulldozer clearing snow at Alaska Freight Lines in Valdez, Tsaina Lodge, an Alaska Road Commission sign, blowing snow in Valdez, 40 Mile Lodge, a Beechcraft Bonanza airplane, a Canadian border station, a small sawmill in Port Chilkoot, people loading lumber, a Golden North airlines C-46 airplane loading polar bear cubs, "Polar Bear Line" painted on a C-46, car races at Rendezvous raceway in Fairbanks, an Alaska Freightlines van, travel on the Richardson Highway during winter, a minor truck accident during winter, clearing snow in Thompson Pass, a buffalo on the road, travel on the Richardson Highway during summer, early telegraph tripod poles along a highway, the Lowe River, a washed out bridge, Keystone Canyon, a tunnel on a road, unloading a ship at Valdez, Paxson Lodge, a damaged bridge near Sheep Mountain on Glenn Highway, a truck with flat tires being repaired along the highway, winter travel scenes showing overflow sections or glaciering across the highway, Knik River Bridge, and downtown Anchorage.

: [Trucking on the Dalton Highway]; Footage includes still shots of a sign on a building, truckers and trucks, trucks on Haul Road in the summer and fall, views of trucks hauling pipeline sections in summer and fall, views from aboard a truck, views of Fairbanks, trucks on Haul Road, an airplane landing, an airport at Old Man camp, an airplane taking off in slow motion, a truck on Haul Road in early winter, stills of a trucker [identified on the original film as Sam Little?], a mechanic working on a truck in a shop, a man driving a truck, a truck parked in twilight, a man climbing into a truck, Fox Roadhouse, a trucker reading the "help wanted" ads in a cafe, closeups of a truck, a truck on Haul Road (some sections of film are double-exposed), a garage, a trucker climbing into a Sourdough Freight Lines truck, and a truck driving through Fairbanks.

: [trucks hauling pipe on Haul Road]; Footage includes trucks hauling 80-foot sections of pipe on the Elliot Highway and the Haul Road.

: [UAF campus views]; Footage includes students at the University of Alaska Fairbanks walking in front of the Elmer E. Rasmuson Library, the Wood Center, Wickersham Hall, and the Gruening Building.

: [UAF fire department 1980 to 1981]; This film contains footage of a large group of people swimming and playing in a backyard swimming pool during cold weather and warm weather as well as footage of a firefighting competition which includes firefighting races and fires being extinguished by groups of firefighters.

: [Valdez, Alaska and Outside travel]; The first segment in Alaska includes footage of blowing snow in Valdez the and aerial views of winter countryside. Footage outside of Alaska includes George Meals at his farm in Atkinson Nebraska with unidentified women, traffic at night, a Northwest Airlines airplane, a man chopping wood, a woman and dog, tourists watching a dog sled in the summer, mountains, women in a Valdez Light and Power office, men and women in a garden (Nancy, Frank and Ertha Mills in Sebastapol CA), seals in cages, homes and roads, lights in downtown Las Vegas, an old west town (Nancy and Ertha with figures), a dam site, Nancy and friends posing for the camera, homes, people posing (Nancy and family near Amarillo Texas, George Meals with a hay wagon, and farm scenes in Atkinson Nebraska with Melvin and Marvin Meals. The second segment includes footage of downtown Valdez, snow removal vehicles, a propeller-driven vehicle (probably built by Owen Meals) driving down a street, freight being unloaded from a ship, fuel tanks, Alaska Freight Lines and other semi-trucks with trailers and freight, a snowplow, parked semi-trucks, snow removal, a snowy road, wintertime dock activities, an Alaska Steamship Company trailer being offloaded from a ship,Valdez street scenes during winter, trucks hauling pipes, a Valdez Light Power & Telephone Company truck, a small helicopter landing and taking off, and dock views. The third segment includes footage at the Valdez airport with a military DC-3 and other airplanes, an airplane taking off, cars driving on a snowy road, Anchorage city lights, mountains and a lake, foxes at a fox farm, a small water wheel, a cabin and cache, a bear cub and people, scenic views, highway travel, a small airplane taking off and flying by, wind in the mountains, a no-hunting sign, a waterfall and ice, Valdez City School (built in 1936 and used until the 1964 earthquake), and views from a ship. The fourth segment outside of Alaska includes images of families posing for the camera, scenes at a large airport, a woman climbing oil derrick/tower stairs, oil-drilling operation, a small windmill, and oil rigs.

first
previous
…
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
next
last

SHARE