Helen J. Simeonoff Collection, 1778-2000 (bulk 1900-1963)

Collection

Identifier: PCA 445

Staff Only

Alaska's Digital Archives: Helen J. Simeonoff Photographs

Content Description

The photographs include family members of the Simeonoff, Ponomarev, and Knagin families with genealogy dating back to the Russian American Company in the early 1800’s. Photographs were taken in and around Kodiak and also include Woody Island, Afognak, Eklutna, Ouzinkie, Port Lions, Kenai, and Uganik mostly from 1900 to the 1960’s. A few photos were taken outside Alaska, including Washington, D.C., San Diego, and Albuquerque. Photos in the Chateau de Musee, Boulogne sur Mer, France were taken by Helen J. Simeonoff to document Sugpiaq masks collected by Louis Alphonse Pinart, 1872-1873, in Kodiak, Afognak, Katmai; and Unga.

Dates

1778-2000
Majority of material found within 1900-1963

Conditions Governing Access

At the request of the donor, public access to the genealogical section of the collection is restricted until 2025. The photographs are available for viewing.

Biographical / Historical

Helen J. Simeonoff was born October 23, 1941 in Kodiak, Alaska to William Simeonoff, Jr. and Alexandra Knagin; both are of Sugpiaq-Russian descent. She was a legal litgation secretary for over 25 years working at major litigation firms in San Diego, California; Waukegan, Illinois and other cities in the U.S. In 1993 Helen left her position as a warrant data entry clerk for the Anchorage Police Department to become a full time self-employed watercolor artist focusing on the Sugpiaq culture of Kodiak and Afognak Islands. Her hobby when not painting is genealogy and photography.

Helen Simeonoff passed away on January 8, 2011.

Extent

115 Photographic Prints (2 Binders) : 1 Binder containing scans of photographs ; 1 Binder containing genealogical information

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Processing Information

The images and genealogy were organized by Helen Simeonoff. She numbered and inventoried the photographs. The images and genealogy are housed in two white binders.

Digital Material

Alaska's Digital Archives: Helen J. Simeonoff Photographs

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title: Finding Aid for the Helen J. Simeonoff Collection, 1778-2000 (bulk 1900-1963)
Status: Completed
Author: Finding Aid prepared by Gladi Kulp, Dec. 2003; AS Finding Aid prepared by Melissa Scriven, March 2019.
Date: 2019 March
Description rules: Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description: Undetermined
Script of description: Code for undetermined script
Language of description note: English