Skip to main content

Elite Studio Photograph Collection, ca. 1910-1936

 Collection
Identifier: PCA 294

Content Description

This collection includes photographs of Juneau and Southeast Alaska scenes, 1930s and personal letters and photographs that Mr. Adams sent to his childhood friend Mrs. Francis Moore of Michigan. The letters date from 1909 to 1935 and cover many subjects and description about his life in Dawson City, Y.T. Canada, and Alaska as well as reminiscences of a shared childhood and adolescence in Michigan.. There is also a folder of photographs and his hand drawn cartoons depicting his life and some of the big news events that happened in Juneau.

Dates

  • ca. 1910-1936

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is available for viewing, however, the photographs may not be photocopied.

Biographical / Historical

Edwin C. Adams was born in Detroit, Michigan January 18, 1871 and came to Alaska during the 1898 Klondike gold rush. He traveled to Dawson where he worked in a photo studio which he eventually purchased (Adams and Larkin, and later, Adams and Co.). After moving to Juneau in 1917, he opened Elite Studio. Mr. Adams was well known in Juneau for his boxing abilities and served as local trainer for amateur boxers. He died in Juneau October 5, 1950, at age 79. He was married to Luella Mary Adams.

Extent

8 folders (183 black and white photographs ; 9 letters )

Language of Materials

English

Acquisition

The negatives to this collection were donated by William Jorgenson of Juneau, Alaska and were part of the Winter and Pond materials that were donated in 1981. (Acc. # 1988-016.)

Accession #1990-065 was accessioned 11/9/1990 and added to PCA 294 on 4/3/2009. This collection was donated to the Alaska State Museum by Mary Moore Green, granddaughter of Mrs. Francis Moore in July of 1990. The Alaska State Museum transferred the collection to the Alaska State Library Historical Collections.

Existence and Location of Copies

Photographs digitized and available for viewing via Alaska's Digital Archives: 020, 024, 035, 039, 041-049, 051, 066, 133

Processing Information

The original negatives were copied by Ronald Klein. The photos are numbered and housed in mylar sheet protectors.

Title
Finding Aid for the Elite Studio Photograph Collection, ca. 1910-1936
Status
In Progress
Author
Finding aid prepared by: India Spartz, April 1988; ArchivesSpace Finding Aid by: Melissa Scriven, April 2019
Date
2019 April
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)