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.

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: [Family scenes, Alaska Highway travel]; Film contains footage of a little girl (aproximately 1 year old) at a birthday party with a cake and presents, a little girl playing with toys, a little boy's 3rd birthday party with children, cake, the child opening presents, a truck on a snowy road, scenic views of mountains and winter snowscape, a little girl about 2 years old, a man, woman, and child standing outside on the side of a road in winter, snowscapes viewed from a moving vehicle, snowy roadway viewed from a moving vehicle, winter landscapes, tall cabin at Whitehorse in Canada, sternwheeler riverboats on a shore at Whitehorse, cars racing around a snow track in the winter on the Chena River in Fairbanks, ice skaters performing for a crowd outside in winter on the Chena River in Fairbanks, views of Fairbanks businesses along river, views of the outside of a building, a man standing with a dog, scenic views of the landscape, ships on the water, a church with a Nativity scene in front, a bridge (not in Alaska), a woman and man standing outside of a brick home (not in Alaska), Pan American airplane at an airport, the mountains filmed from an airplane in flight, a man and a boy standing in snow in front of a truck, military vehicles along a snowy road, views from a truck driving down the Alaska Highway, and a truck at Whitehorse in Canada with sternwheeler riverboats on the shore in the background.

: [Family scenes, Alaska Highway travel, winter carnival]; Film contains images of cars driving down a street, an aproximately 1-year-old girl outside of a red house climbing stairs and playing, the same girl indoors, sheep in a field, a group of people standing in the field, a group of people dressed up at an outdoor gathering, people sitting in a group in chairs outdoors in a social gathering, the exterior of a red house, children swimming in what appears to be a lake, a child aproximately 1-year-old walking, views of a beach and a sign that says "Indian Village" on it, scenic Alaska wilderness with a rainbow, children running through a sprinkler and playing with a hose on the lawn in front of a red house, a family standing in front of cars, children playing with a cat, children playing outside in the snow in the winter, adults and children standing for a group photograph, outdoor winter scenery, the Watson Lake Signpost Forest along the Alaska Highway in Yukon Territory of Canada, mountain scenery, a moose in winter in a field of snow, children being pulled on a sled, caribou pulling a dog sled, a Fairbanks Winter Carnival parade with parade floats, kids on a snowy beach throwing rocks into the water near a glacier, a parade in summer with a man riding in the parade and women marching in the parade, flowers in a garden, a barn in winter, well dressed people standing outside in winter with a bunch of cars in front of a church outside of Alaska, people pushing wagon wheels in the snow, a little girl opening presents next to a Christmas tree, a woman holding a baby, a Christmas tree, presents under a tree, a man with children on his lap, children sitting on a couch, children opening Christmas presents, children playing with toys, and children roughhousing and tumbling.

: [Family travel and Alaska 1]; This film is made up of several smaller film reels labeled "1960 At Home, Diamond Mine [?], 707 Jet, Mike, Arkansas [?], back in Tex, [?] and Me, Plane at Post at Home," "Girls at Wisc Lake at Home [?] 1962," "At Home in Park 1964, Debbie and [?] 1962," "Parade 1964," "May 1964, Mike at Home, First Fishing, Ice and Snow, Pile Driver Slough," "Xmas 1965 and New Year 1966," "Fall 1966 Spring 1967, First Trip to Gulkana, Sourdough, Beautiful Scenes," and "At Home, Crappie, Dad and Shorty, Pat and the Kids, Swimming, June 7." The film contains a mix of footage from Alaska and travel outside Alaska, including family gatherings, airplanes, children fishing and playing, an Alaska parade, a man walking on an icy river, a public pool, and a beach.

: [Family travel and Alaska 2]; This film is made up of several smaller 8mm film reels labeled "Armed Forces Day at Airfield," "Seattle Zoo," "Zoo Animals," "Going to Hawaii," "Kodak, Hula, First Day at Aquarium," "Camper, Olympia Washington, Hawaii [?]," and [unlabeled]. The film contains views of military aircraft at a Fort Wainwright airshow, zoo animals including Polar Bears and Kodiak Bears, Valdez area scenes and camping, Hawaii travel and scenes, and Sitka.

: [Farrar buggy, scenes outside Alaska]; The original film is labeled “Ray Farrar and buggy, me and Champ, Tom shoveling snow – Michigan, Toni on water ski, Siebert and deer.” The film contains scenes of a dog pulling a loaded sled, brief aerial views of a town and an airport landing strip, a large vehicle with many tires moving across the tundra, sections of pipe being hauled by vehicle, a demonstration of a vehicle’s ability to travel smoothly over rough terrain, a small airplane taking off from an airport, John Baker repairing the tail of an airplane, snow storm scenes, a workshop's interior, a deer near a barn, a man posing with a deer, a pheasant in snow, men moving a raft of logs, a water chute and logging operation, a man water skiing, and an airplane on floats landing on water. Some scenes were filmed outside Alaska.

: [Ferry from Haines to Skagway, Dyea graveyard and waterfront]; The filmmaker's original labeling scheme has AAF-20042 numbered as Bacon 10-02 and titled “Ferry from Haines to Skagway, North Star, Dyea Graveyard, Water Front, Old Buildings.” 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 2: 1986, Ferry from Haines to Skagway, Old Dyea, LeConte State Ferry leaves Haines for Skagway, pass by North Star, landing at Skagway, Dyea graveyard, Dyea old piles at waterfront, Dyea old buildings.”

: [Ferry, Tenakee Hot Springs, dock]; The filmmaker's original labeling scheme has AAF-20041 numbered as Bacon 10-01 and titled “Ferry Pass-Bys, Tenakee Hot Springs, Dock Ferry.” 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's box that pertain to this film are as follows: “Reel 1: 1986, Original, Ferry pass-by’s, Tenakee hot springs from the water, on ground – flying kites, street scenes, dock ferry, people selling on the dock."

: 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.

: [Fire fighters at Vundik Lake]; This film gives a detailed view of many aspects of fighting the Vundik Lake forest fire in the Yukon Flats. Footage includes fire fighters lying and detonating long rope-like explosives along the moss, helicopters delivering supplies, a flying boxcar airplane dropping retardent, fire fighters using waterbags and branches to beat back fire on the ground, a helicopter with a water bucket dropping water on the fire, a sign reading "Welcome to Vundik Lake", a fire fighters' camp, aerial views of a PBY Catalina water bomber scooping water from Vundik Lake, and aerial views of the fire line and fire fighters.

: [Football games, basketball games]; This footage shows a night time football game being played outdoors and under lights on a baseball field that was converted into a football field [possibly Griffin Park in Fairbanks?], a football game being played on a snowy field in Fairbanks, and women's basketball games being played in a gymnasium. [Teams in both the football and basketball games wear red and gold uniforms, so they might be from West Valley High School in Fairbanks].

: [Fort Chilkoot region]; The first section includes intertitles is titled "Transportation in Alaska." Footage includes a car on a narrow road and being pulled through snow by horses, Native men in a small boat poling on a river, a boat identified as a "war canoe," men with horses in a pack-train, a man on snowshoes, sled dog teams pulling sleds, ocean travel on a ship in rough seas, a White Pass and Yukon Railroad rotary snowplow working and travel on the route, a flying boat, aerial views of the A-J mine in Juneau, a puppy pulling a child on a small sled followed by an intertitle of "the end". Additional footage includes a young boy and man walking a black bear on a chain, troops on snowshoes and skiis in parade grounds at Fort Chilkoot, a child playing in snow, a man shovelling snow, a child sledding, people riding in a dogsled and mushing through a town and woods, men with a horse drawn sled, children sledding and skiing, a young girl, people with a baby during baptism, family scenes with children inside a home, and couples including a military officer dancing and mugging for the camera.

: [Fort Wainwright 1970s]; This film contains scenes from the early 1970s of troops at Fort Wainwright boarding a C-130 aircraft, aerial views of the landscape, and scenes of soldiers with parachutes exiting the aircraft.

: [Fort Yukon, Hudson Stuck Hospital]; This film contains footage taken while flying over a town in an airplane. This is followed by footage of a large wooden building with a flag pole in front, which appears to be the Hudson Stuck Memorial Hospital; a sign for the Hudson Stuck Memorial Hospital; nurses in white uniforms and children standing in front of the hospital; nurses walking past a farm and speaking with men working on the farm; a man driving a red tractor; people and nurses talking to the man on the red tractor; a group of nurses conversing; nurses talking to a uniformed officer of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; a small boy and a hound dog; and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer talking with a well dressed man and woman in front of the hospital.

: [Fort Yukon, people and activities]; This is a reel of 16mm film made up of seven smaller reels of film. Reel 1 is labeled “Rube & Bill Mason” and contains footage of a number of individuals carrying items out of a cabin and loading them onto a boat as well as a man and a woman carrying bags, boxes, and miscellaneous household items across the shore to the boat. Reel 2 is labeled “Emil Bergman & Mrs. Burk” and contains footage of two or three individuals looking at large ice floes and ice jams on a river. It also contains footage of a town and buildings with water in front of them (possibly flooding). Reel 3 is labeled “John Thomas 9” and contains footage of a large group of adults and children standing on the edge of a large river, scenic views of the river, and two women walking up to the river. It also shows ice flowing on the river, three children playing by the water, an Alaska Native woman with a small child on her back and two older children, ice floes in the river, two men looking at the river, a small girl looking at the camera, and a group of children playing. Reel 4 is labeled “John Thomas” and contains footage of a child paddling a canoe, children playing with the canoe in the water, children swimming in the water, children playing on the beach next to the water, a person in a bathing suit paddling a canoe, a person paddling the canoe standing up, and two men in another canoe. Reel 5 is labeled “Muskrat Hunting” and contains footage of a man leading a group of large sled dogs, dogs pulling a dogsled from the perspective of the sled driver, a man and a boy with guns evaluating the tundra closely and setting a trap, a man being pulled on a dogsled, a man standing with the sled dogs, a man and boy walking through the snow in the woods, a man and boy checking the traps, the boy showing the camera his catch, and a man and boy striking an animal (likely a muskrat) with a stick and holding it up by the tail. Reel 6 is labeled “1930-1940 Doctor Burke’s 4th of July” and “Dr. Burk’s Pictures 4th of July.” It contains footage of a man walking up a dock, two men paddling a canoe (possibly through flood waters), two men walking past a building, two men getting into a canoe and paddling a canoe, a large number of well-dressed children playing in a field with adults looking on, children engaged in wheelbarrow races, children engaged in three-legged races, and a large group of adults watching as other members engage in an unidentified game. Reel 7 is labeled “Steamboat” and contains footage of well-dressed women walking, priests and men in suits talking next to a body of water, people on a large riverboat with a sign that says “U.S. Mail,” well-dressed people on a beach in front of the riverboat, a number of people shaking hands with what appears to be the captain of the riverboat, people standing on the shore next to the riverboat and waving as the ship departs, and people milling around on the shore.

: [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.

: [Ft. Richardson and ATG and Lend-Lease aircraft with Russian markings at Nome, Turnagain by the Sea development and ATG... 3]; Part 3 (AAF-1544) footage includes a sternwheeler, Eskimo dancers, a bear cub, Eskimo men gathering eggs and catching birds in flight, a tent, umiaks, loading freight in Nome, hauling meat with dog sleds, Governor Gruening swearing in Alaska Territorial Guard members, ATG members with rifles and during marching drills, Muktuk Marston, a snowblower in Nome, ATG headquarters in Nome (image reversed), Governors Gruening and Dewey, title screens and a map, a dog team and reindeer hooked to a sled, Muktuk Marston with a puppy and swearing in ATG members, dog team travel, aerial views of mountains, captive bear cubs, Governor Dewey in a red parka, and more aerial views of mountains.

: [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.

: [Fur Rendezvous, polar bear, Kotzebue, Nome, Unalakleet, kayak races]; Footage features an Alaska Native dance demonstration in front of a crowd on an Anchorage baseball field, a blanket toss, and dog mushers racing across a flat area; polar bears on ice in Northern Alaska; the Kotzebue waterfront, fish drying on racks, children, the post office, the trading post, the Wien Arctic Hotel, a whalebone, and Alaska Native women and a man with closeup views of their faces; Native dancing in Nome with King Island Chief Aulaġana (John Olarana or Olaranna) and others, a blanket toss, and fish drying on racks; the Unalakleet waterfront with kayaks and an airplane on floats, kayak races, and a demonstration of a kayak roll by a man wearing a gutskin parka. The film is made from three shorter reels of film spliced together. The original boxes are labeled as follows: 1) Fur Rendezvous – 100’ $30.00 - #60013. 2) #54 Polar Bear - $15.00. 3) #28 Kotzebue, Unalakleet, Nome, Kayak Races.

: Gardening is great in the north; This film contains tips about gardening in the North. It includes scenes of man mushing dogs to a cabin, a man and woman talking about hunting and farming, a woman making a phone call using a rotary phone, Virgil Severns of Cooperative Extension Service, gardening site selection tips, vegetable variety tips, a demonstration of starting seeds in foam cups, people shoveling soil and talking about soil sample kits, a man using a roto-tiller in a small garden area, people discussing fertilizer, a man demonstrating how to prepare potatoes for planting, a demonstration of garden planting techniques, hoeing and weeding, a family harvesting vegetables from their garden, and a demonstration of techniques for storing carrots. The credits are as follows: Photographer and editor, Reginald Emmert of UAF Rasmuson Library Media Services, animation and art by Dolores Hutchison, audio by Kevin Hamel, music by Helen Hansen, production assistance by Kathy Kollodge, special thanks to Claire Fejes and Gary Stein and Virgil Severns, and supported by The Alaska Native Human Resource Development Program. A list of gardening publications appears at the end.

: Gathering together: bilingual curriculum creation at the Lower Kuskokwim School District; This videotape is labeled "Gathering Together Master 2/11/97." The program was produced by the Lower Kuskokwim School District (LKSD) in 1997. It contains chapters on LKSD and its mission, bilingual programs at LKSD, the Yup'ik Language Immersion School, the Summer Institute Home School Link, and Materials Production.

: [Geology]; The original Betamax videotape is labeled “Geology.” The video contains footage of mountains and rock formations in the Western United States, and it briefly shows Portage Glacier in Alaska while a man (likely geologist C. L. Sainsbury) discusses each feature.

: [Geophysical Institute]; This footage includes scenes from a youth sports competition, an airplane landing and taking off at the Fairbanks airport, stock car race footage, a man who was injured at the racetrack being taken away in an ambulance (story titled "Stock Car Spots") (September 1974) (silent), the Chapman building at University of Alaska Fairbanks, the Elvey building, a man being interviewed about changes at the Geophysical Institute over the past 25 years, a man demonstrating lab equipment, and a man being interviewed about radio transmission equipment being used to transmit medical information to remote villages in Alaska (October 28, 1974) (silent and sound).

: [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.

: [George Steck collection 01]; This footage includes downhill ski races at Skiland on the Steese Highway, views from Cleary Summit during summer, a Ski Patrol competition at Skiland, a Goldpanner baseball game at Growden Park, people skydiving and testing a parachute on the ground, and a black bear hide. Footage at Murphy Dome includes antennae and dishes covered with hoar frost, an Aktiv Fischer Snow Trac operating, a snowman, buildings, Caterpillar tractors, and husky dogs playing.

: [George Steck collection 02]; This footage from Nenana includes the tripod on the Tanana River, a bridge, Nenana Ice Poll Tower and Watchman's building, and town scenes.

: [George Steck collection 03]; Scenes from the Miss Fairbanks contest in March of 1968. The footage also features singing and ballet performances.

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