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George M. Blair Photograph Collection, 1930-1959

 Collection
Identifier: PCA 152

Content Description

Many of the slides show hunting and mining activity in the Talkeetna area and across the Susitna River where Blair had claims on Dutch Creek in the foothills of Mount McKinley. There are also views of people, landscapes, and activities, etc. at Talkeetna, Hope, Fairbanks, Valdez, Chitina, Nome, etc.

Helen Blair taught school in a number of villages, and the collection includes her photographs of the schools and children at Aniak, Fort Yukon, Glennallen, Crooked Creek, and other locations. Volume 1 contains 35 mm Kodachrome color slides; Volume 2 contains black and white photographs.

Dates

  • 1930-1959

Conditions 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

Helen Smith came to Alaska in 1936 to teach school. She married George Blair and lived in Alaska from 1936-1966. George Blair died in 1952 in Juneau, where he is buried.

George Blair of Talkeetna was a trapper and big game guide. Many of the slides show hunting and mining activity in the Talkeetna area and across the Susitna River where he had claims on Dutch Creek in the foothills of Mount McKinley. There are views of people, scenics, activities, etc. at Talkeetna, Hope, Fairbanks, Valdez, Chitina, Nome, etc.

Helen Blair taught in a number of villages, and the collection includes photographs taken by her of the schools and children at Aniak, Fort Yukon, Glennallen, Crooked Creek, and other locations.

Extent

6 folders : 507 color slides 35mm ; 388 photographs

Language of Materials

English

Acquisition

This collection of slides, prints, and some negatives was donated to the library in the Fall of 1978 by Helen D. Blair of Clarksdale, Arizona. (Acc. No. 1978-021)

Existence and Location of Originals

INVENTORY OF ORIGINAL NEGATIVES: Negatives stored in freezer in Vault

2 Boxes

Box 1: Negatives for images in Volume 2: 1-61, 66, 70-84

Box 2: Negatives for images in Volume 2: 85-109, 142-144, 173-175, 179-190, 192-193, 195, 198, 229, 241, 244-252, 262-264, 343, 371-383, 1 unnumbered/unprinted negative [Man in fur coat and mittens]

Existence and Location of Copies

Some photographs in this collection have been digitized and are available to view via Alaska's Digital Archives.

Related Materials

Letters received by Helen Blair from Governor Ernest Gruening, Marie Drake, Margaret Harrais and other material of Helen and George Blair form a separate collection, MS 4-4-13.

Processing Information

The slides and photographs are individually numbered and sleeved in Mylar. An item-level inventory is available. Vol. 1 consists of color slides; Vol. 2 contains black and white photographs.

Title
Finding Aid for the George M. Blair Photograph Collection, 1930-1959
Status
In Progress
Author
Processed by: Staff, revised Aug. 2001, Oct. 2004; ArchivesSpace Finding Aid by: Melissa Scriven, April 2019
Date
2019 April
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
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)