Robert Girardot Photograph Collection, 1964
Scope and Contents
Photos of 1964 earthquake in Anchorage taken by Robert Girardot, Air Force photographer stationed on Elmendorf AFB.
Dates
- 1964
EAD
PCA0572Conditions Governing Access
The collection is unrestricted.
Conditions Governing Use
Request for permission to publish or reproduce material from the collection should be discussed with the Librarian.
Biographical
“My father, Robert W. Girardot was a base photographer on Elmendorf AFB at the time of the 64 earthquake. We were stationed at Elmendorf from 1959 to late 1964. My family was living in a second floor apartment on Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage. It was Good Friday so my brother, 13 at the time, was out of school. I was five years old. My father had brought us up the Alcan Highway four years earlier. My father was the Elmendorf Base photographer. This earthquake is the first memory I have in life. I remember it being day time, not sure what hour. Our apartment building began to shake and roll violently. I have vague memories of my father grabbing us and putting us in the door frame that went between the apartment hallway and the living room. It was a very small apartment. As I sat there looking out of the living room picture window I recall the apartment rolling like a boat. It would roll towards the ground and that was what we would see, then it would roll back and we would only see sky. I don't really recall being frightened, but rather just amazed by the spectacle. Furniture in the living room was moving about. A bird cage with our pet parakeet crashed to the floor and killed our pet. The closet door fell open and gifts for my brother’s upcoming birthday party flew out. My mother was in the kitchen and was tending to two things; a large pot of my father’s precious chili, and she was icing a birthday cake that was configured in the shape of a guitar since my brother was a Beatle wannabe and eventually became a professional musician. Somehow the physics of the shake and roll lifted that pot of chili and spread it across the kitchen, including the cake. My mother made an attempt to flee the kitchen but was pummeled by flying dishes, pots and pans. She did make it into the apartment stairwell and suffered a few bruises and cuts. Afterwards there was shock, and an eery quiet. Power was off of course. We could see smoke coming from several areas on the horizon. My parents sent us outside where we witnessed huge cracks in the ground, and in the buildings. That night we slept in the apartment using candles. There was no heat. The aftershocks were constant and some quite violent. The next day my father was ordered to tour the base and community of Anchorage and take photos of the damage. We have a trunk full of earthquake photos and have donated a few to the State Museum. The next two nights we slept in our 64 two door Chevy, with only blankets and flash lights. Our neighbors did the same. The aftershocks were so violent that the authorities thought the buildings might collapse. It was quite fortuitous that school was out for Good Friday because my brother’s school was destroyed. If class had been in session there may have been many injured children.” Dennis Girardot
Extent
22 Photographic Prints : black and white photographs
Language of Materials
English
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was donated by Dennis Girardot, Robert Girardot’s son. Acc.#2014-015
Existence and Location of Copies
The photographs in this collection have been digitized and are available to view via Alaska's Digital Archives.
Processing Information
This collection has been described at the item level. The original order was maintained. The photographs were placed in Mylar, and all items placed into a pH-neutral folder.
- Title
- Finding aid for the Robert Girardot Photograph Collection, 1964
- Status
- In Progress
- Author
- Processed by: Sara Bornstein, March 2014 ; ArchivesSpace finding aid by: Sandy Johnston 2019 July ; Inventory added by: Sandy Johnston
- Date
- 2020 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
PO Box 110571
Juneau AK 99811-0571 US
907-465-2920
907-465-2925
907-465-2151 (Fax)
asl.historical@alaska.gov