Skip to main content

Mina Lang Photograph Collection, 1930s

 Collection
Identifier: PCA 335

Scope and Contents

The collection includes mostly stock images of Fairbanks, Nome, Anchorage, and Juneau; also Eskimos, sled dogs, and a few images of unidentified people. Many of the photographs were collected from commercial photographers, including Winter and Pond Co., Walter Hylen (Fairbanks), Sawyer, B.B. Dobbs, Charles Cann, Julius Fritschen (Anchorage). Others may have been photographed by Mina Lang.

Dates

  • 1930s

EAD

PCA0335

Conditions Governing Access

The photos are fragile. They may be viewed, however, they may not be photocopied.

Conditions Governing Use

Request for permission to publish or reproduce material from the collection should be discussed with the Librarian.

Biographical

Mina Dobbert was born in Rostock, Germany, and came to the United States as a governess for a diplomatic family. She was living in San Francisco in 1898, when the gold rush began. She and a friend, Lucille Knight, and Mrs. Knight’s two sons carried 1100 pounds of provisions over the Chilkoot Pass to Lake Lindeman where they built their own boats and traveled to Dawson. There she met Mr. Lang and two years later they were married in Nome. According to one newspaper report, it was the first marriage performed for a white couple in Alaska.

Mr. and Mrs. Lang stayed in Nome until 1903 then moved to Fairbanks for six years before moving on to Iditarod in 1909. In 1915 they moved to Anchorage and stayed until 1918 when they left Alaska.

Mina Lang was a member of the Alaskan Sourdoughs and also the Ladies of the Golden North (Seattle), the oldest pioneer woman’s organization of Alaska. She died in Twin Falls, Idaho, in the 1960s according to the donor.

Extent

100 Photographic Prints : black and white

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Mitzi Gerrish Saunders of Australia, donated the collection in 1992, which included a photograph album, loose photographs, and a book, Souvenir of North Western Alaska, by O.D. Goetze (Acc. No. 1992-008).

Processing Information

The book was added to the Alaskana collection (F905.S6). Twenty-four photographs by Basil Clemons were added to the Basil Clemons Photograph Collection, PCA 68. The photograph album was unbound; photos are numbered and sleeved in Mylar. An inventory is available.

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Finding aid for the Mina Lang Photograph Collection, 1930s
Status
In Progress
Author
Processed by: Agnes Sincic, 1992 ; Revised by: Staff, Feb. 2005 ; Inventory by: Sandy Johnston, Feb. 2017 ; Updated by: Jacki Swearingen, Aug. 2017 ; ArchivesSpace finding aid by: Sandy Johnston 2019 June ; 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

External Documents

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Alaska State Library - Historical Collections Finding Aids Repository

https://library.alaska.gov/hist/
Contact:
PO Box 110571
Juneau AK 99811-0571 US
907-465-2920
907-465-2925
907-465-2151 (Fax)