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Frank LaRoche Photograph Collection, 1890-1902

 Collection
Identifier: PCA 130

Scope and Contents

Includes photographs of gold rush activities in the Klondike and views from the communities of Kassan, Ketchikan, Sitka, and Skagway during the same time period.

Dates

  • 1890-1902

EAD

PCA0130

Conditions Governing Access

The photographs are available for viewing. However, the images may not be photocopied.

Conditions Governing Use

Request for permission to publish or reproduce the material from the collection should be discussed with the Librarian.

Biographical Note

Frank LaRoche Sr. was born in Philadelphia on June 20, 1853. He began his photographic career in Pennsylvania, traveling from Florida to Iowa. In 1889, he opened LaRoche Studios in Seattle, Washington. He married Ida M. Crary in Seattle and had a son, Frank Jr., who also became a photographer and opened another studio in Bremerton, Washington. From 1890-1902, the pair frequently traveled to Alaska and photographed Southeast Alaska and the Klondike Gold Rush. The book, Enroute to the Klondike Chilkoot Pass and Skagway Trail, was published in 1897. In 1909, Frank Sr. was commissioned to photograph the Alaska-Yukon Exposition in Seattle for which he was awarded gold medals. He died in Seattle on April 18, 1934.

Extent

168 Photographic Prints (1-2.5 inch box) : 168 views

Language of Materials

English

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The La Roche collection was donated to the library over the years; provenance is unknown. The negatives of images 166-168 were added from the backlog in Sept. 2007, no provenance.

Existence and Location of Originals

PHOTOGRAPHS 34 TO 165 ARE PAGES FROM ENROUTE TO THE KLONDIKE, A SERIES OF PHOTOGRAPHIC VIEWS OF THE PICTURESQUE LAND OF GOLD AND GLACIER, photographed by F. LaRoche. Please see F931.L32 1898 for the complete book.

Existence and Location of Copies

Photographs digitized and available for viewing via Alaska's Digital Archives: 001-033

Processing Information

The photos have been numbered and placed in mylar inserts. A finding aid is available.

Title
Finding aid for the Frank LaRoche Photograph Collection, 1890-1902
Status
Completed
Author
Processed by: India Spartz and Kay Shelton, 1989 and 1995. Revised by GK, 3/6/2002. ArchivesSpace Finding Aid by: Freya Anderson; Inventory added by Jack Kovaleski, November 2020
Date
2020 November
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the Alaska State Library - Historical Collections Finding Aids Repository

Contact:
PO Box 110571
Juneau AK 99811-0571 US
907-465-2920
907-465-2925
907-465-2151 (Fax)