Shelby B. Combest Photograph Collection, ca. 1900-1920
Scope and Contents
Combest photographed the Treadwell mine, Juneau and sites in southeast Alaska including Speel River and Snettisham. He also photographed the 1911 Valdez flood, Copper River & Northwestern Railway, and the Wrangell Mountains. There are a few views of Canada including the White Pass & Yukon route. The collection includes some photographs by Alaskan photographers Elbridge Merrill, L.H. Pedersen and others.
Dates
- circa 1900-1920
EAD
PCA0308Conditions Governing Access
The collection is available for viewing; however, the photographs may not be photocopied.
Conditions Governing Use
Requests for permission to publish material from the collection must be discussed with the Librarian. Photocopying does not constitute permission to publish.
Biographical Note
Shelby Combest was born on February 22, 1880. He spent some time prior to 1920 working at Treadwell as a mining engineer and was in charge of the cyanide plant there. In 1924 and 1925 he was superintendent of the cyanide plant at Chichagof and at the time of his death, was acting superintendent of the mine. He died in a fall down a chute on August 13, 1925, and was buried in Beach, Washington. His wife Mable [Mabel] was a niece of Alaskan photographer, Ed Andrews, and they had two daughters.
Extent
1 boxes (5 folders) : 301 black and white photographs
Language of Materials
English
Acquisition
The collection was donated to the Alaska State Library Historical Collections by Shelby B. Combest’s daughter, Virginia S. Combest, in February 1989. Accession number 1989-007.
Existence and Location of Copies
Photographs digitized and available for viewing via Alaska's Digital Archives: 266, 272, 293
General
An unknown patron reviewed the collection in January, 1996 and offered further identification to some of the images. The notes have been added to the finding aid. See paper finding aid for specific changes.
Jim Geraghty reviewed the collection in January, 2004 and offered further identification to some of the images. His notes have been added to the finding aid in brackets, followed by initials, JG.
Processing Information
The photographs are attached to black album sheets. Each sheet has been placed in Mylar to protect the photographs. The album sheets have been placed in acid free folders and then into an archival box.
- Title
- Finding aid for the Shelby B. Combest Photograph Collection, ca. 1900-1920
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Processed by: Staff. Revised by: Staff, Jan. 2004. ArchivesSpace Finding Aid by: Freya Anderson, June 2019. Inventory added by: Jacki Swearingen
- Date
- 2022 March
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Alaska State Library - Historical Collections Finding Aids Repository
PO Box 110571
Juneau AK 99811-0571 US
907-465-2920
907-465-2925
907-465-2151 (Fax)
asl.historical@alaska.gov