Old Photographs

From the Alaska State Library Historical Collections

A few interesting photographs I’ve found while searching the Alaska State Library’s magnificent Historical Collections. Photographs are linked in the descriptions.

Women sew bearded sealskins together for umiak.Putting cover on umiak. After they are sewn together using special waterproof stitch, men will stretch skin cover across wood frame and lash them to it. This unusually large boat requires 7-8 skins. Five women work outside, standing. Now about ten women sew indoors sitting on the floor. They are covering the boat in the summer, which is unusual. They could be recovered anytime, but the skins dry quickly in the summer becoming clear and yellow. If done in March/April the skins bleach in the sun, becoming white. Sometimes a boat was recovered in the summer, because it needed repairing and was needed for summer hunting. These skins don't all look new, so they could be mending old ones, instead of stretching new skins onto the frame for whaling. Possibly Barrow by Sadie Neakok's house looking toward Whaling Station. [Alaska State Library-Historical Collections. Collection Name: Reverend Samuel Spriggs. Photographs. Point Barrow, Alaska, 1899-1908. ASL-PCA-320. ASL-P320-60]

Coast Guard officer, three puppies, Bering Sea Patrol boat, Hermes. From trip starting in 1928 down the Yukon River to the Bering Sea with Fred “Spokane” Hill. Burg wrote about the trip for National Geographic in 1930 (See Chapter 3 of The Last Voyageur by Vince Welch). [Amos Burg Papers and Photographs, 1922-1989. ASL-MS-236. ASL-MS236-266-56]

Anne Morrow Lindbergh looks out from cockpit of plane after arriving in Barrow on flight to Orient. [David Brower Photograph Collection, ca. 1930. ASL-PCA-262]

“Fisherman feeding the Eagles,” grave house and totem at cemetery south of Wrangall. George Blake of Wrangell told me this grave totem – Chas. Jones, father – in – law of Louis Paul and Shakes, put it up in honor of Ductan, who died. First cousin of Wm. Paul, it was the last pole put up in Wrangell. Old Chief Hoh se Hawks was head of the Kiksedda family. They had wars with the Tsimpsien. He was captured and taken away. He was the father of Kah Shakes 1st – the S- took him. Kohse Hawks – to Cape Fox – stopped there and wanted to sell the old man – sold him there. His sons went down – took copper hour[?] etc., a big lot – to buy their father back. The Simpsein chief agreed on a price – they gave all the coppers and they gave a slave as a servant – they went out in front of the village – took their father and washed him with copper sheets to take away the slave shame – then threw the copper in the water. Shakes was Nan – i – ee and emblem was the brown bear, 1916. [Clarence L. Andrews Photograph Collection, ca. 1892-1940. ASL-PCA-45. ASL-P45-0732a]

[Verso:] Anundeen’s Airship “Norge” at Teller, photo purchased at Nome, Alaska, 1926. [Clarence L. Andrews Photograph Collection, ca. 1892-1940. ASL-PCA-45]

Alaska National Guardsman stands patrol on damaged street. Signs in image: D & D Bar & Cafe, Frisco Bar & Cafe. [Dora M. Sweeney. Photographs, 1935 - 1975. ASL-PCA-421. ASL-421-530]

This dome shaped type of tent is called a Qalluvik in Iñupiaq. Willows for the frame were collected inland, around Atqasuk, then bent into curved shape and tied together to make tent frame. It was then covered with canvas. (Early Iñupiaq tents used skins instead of canvas for covering.) Snow blocks lined up along the base provide insulation by blocking wind. Metal tin container on top of snow block at left was a 5-gallon can that kerosene came in. Used as containers after kerosene was exhausted. [Reverend Samuel Spriggs. Photographs. Point Barrow, Alaska, 1899-1908. ASL-PCA-320. ASL-P320-41]

Two elderly Tlingit Indian women sitting in doorway with a cat; women have lip labrets, western clothing, head scarves, c. 1900. [Winter and Pond. Photographs, 1893-1943. ASL-PCA-117. ASL-P117-69]

For more wonderful photographs visit the Alaska State Library Historical Collections.