The original collection housed at the Alaska State Library, Historical Section in Juneau, Alaska, contains 63 lantern slides. A lantern slide is a positive image on glass, not a glass negative. The slides were purchased by the Sheldon Jackson Museum from Ellen S. (Mrs. Tom) Harrington, and transferred to the Alaska Library in 1990.

The 63 slides described here, while not in their original boxes, were apparently selected for their significance and quality. The selection is therefore not numbered sequentially, and many of the slides were renumbered at a later date. No attempt was made on the attached inventory to list the slides in their original order. However, all numbers are noted to assist in the identification of the individual slides.

The unique subsistence lifestyle of the people of Pt. Barrow is reflected in the slides as well as the different lifestyles introduced by the Mission activities. The collection can be divided in several unique series. The bulk of the collection relates to whaling and other activities associated with the hunt, such as preparation for the hunt, butchering, and celebration following the hunt. There is also a discreet series of views showing the building of an umiaq [umiak], another on dwellings and caches. Also included are views of the Mission, the school, and a number of indoor and outdoor photographs of Native families.