COLLECTING ALASKA

by Steve Henrikson, Curator of Collections

A century ago, the Alaska State Museum began collecting “all things Alaskan,” and curators cast a wide net to build a balanced collection that accurately and comprehensively represents human activity in Alaska from prehistory to present. The collection grew to form the basis for research, exhibitions, and educational activities. Today, we focus on filling in gaps and weaknesses with objects representing past history, while keeping pace with history as it evolves and expands by collecting contemporary material. 

The exhibition Collecting Alaska provides insight into the process of collecting and displays over a hundred of the 1700 artifacts acquired by the Alaska State Museum since 1995. While some items were purchased by the museum with ever-declining state funds, this show pays tribute to the generous donors who have given cherished heirlooms for the benefit of the public. Each object has a story to tell about our history and cultures.

With a sense of historical perspective, and following strict criteria, the museum considers items old and new for the collection. But what makes the cut?  With Alaska's diversity and complexity, systematically deciding what to collect can be difficult. Which artifacts best represent pivotal people and events? Which artworks will stand the test of time? Some items are collected because of their rarity, and others for their typicality. To represent life in Alaska, even commonplace items--some never designed to last beyond a single use--are also sought and collected.

Each object proposed for the collection receives close scrutiny. The history of the object—both the information that comes with the piece as well as new research—is reviewed, and its connections to Alaska history are drawn to demonstrate that it falls within the scope of collections. Does it meet collecting goals by filling a gap, or meet a particular exhibition need, or supporting future research or education? The object must be legally acquired:  Native artifacts, excavated objects, and items made of protected animal parts receive special attention. If the item is for sale, the price must be fair and within budget. Research and close examination tests authenticity, and the object’s condition is assessed and treatment and preservation costs estimated.

It falls to the curator, working in concert with experts in specific fields, to  analyze the existing collection, identify its strengths and weaknesses, and develop a collecting plan—a  “wish list” of categories of items and subjects needed for a well-rounded and comprehensive collection. Since one can not predict what new discoveries await just around the corner, the plan is flexible enough to accommodate unforeseen opportunities. For example, a large collection of paintings by Nina and Josephine Crumrine was offered for donation, but the work of these artists was already listed as a strength of the existing collection. The paintings, from the Alaska Steamship Company (through the Skinner Foundation), included some of the famous Alaskan sled dog portraits used for steamship menu covers. The history of these paintings, as well as their size and subject matter, was the basis for our decision to accept the gift.  

We build the collection both to reinforce strengths and strengthen weaknesses. Our art collection survey identified the need to acquire the work of certain 20^th century Alaskan artists, including Sydney Laurence—especially a painting of Mt. McKinley, his most famous subject. In recent years, the museum received five Laurence paintings—two of the mountain—donated by Carl Valentine, who obtained them from Territorial Governor George Parks. A second donation of two Laurences from Celia Handley—a seascape and Native scene—further broadens our coverage of this essential artist.

Recent acquisitions of WWII artifacts used in Alaska are the result of proactive searching for such material to better represent the Aleutian Campaign and wartime Alaska. While former curator Ed Keithahn succeeded in collecting some important Japanese relics immediately after hostilities ended, few uniforms and gear representing Allied forces were acquired. To “make the cut,” WWII objects must have been actually used in Alaska: we will not collect generic type examples of WWII gear without some direct and specific association with Alaska. Working with veterans and their families, as well as artifact dealers, we have significantly improved this aspect of the collection, which will be used for a new section in the history gallery.  

Some artifacts are rare because they are one-of-a-kind. Many were once commonplace but never designed to survive, and never thought of as important. Locating such ephemeral material from an increasingly disposable society is challenging. Steamship baggage stickers and brochures, WWII propaganda leaflets, Alaskan beverage containers, and movie posters are “throwaways” that can actually be very useful to illustrate past life in Alaska.

Other recent focal points in our collecting are the Alaskan salmon industry and Alaska Native history. These themes merge in a single object—the salmon can. Made by the millions, these tin containers with labels intact are exceedingly rare. After a decade of searching, we have acquired eleven Alaskan cans found all over the country. Some were recovered in the walls and crawlspaces of houses, where carpenters apparently sealed their lunch leftovers. Several hand-soldered cans date back to the 19^th century, and one—“Klawack Brand”—is from Alaska’s first cannery. As an artifact of labor history, salmon cans represent the work of Alaska Natives, upon whom the early canneries relied for cheap labor. Discrimination kept most Natives in the most menial and dangerous jobs. In the museum, even a lowly discarded tin can may speak volumes about past social conditions. 

One of the more popular items acquired recently is a pair of “bunny boots” used by Lanny Hotrum of Hobart Bay. Visitors are surprised to see such strange looking inflatable boots, developed for military use at cold-weather duty stations. Alaskans, however, are surprised that such a commonplace item would be considered worthy of a museum display. But the museum is as much about everyday life as it is about famous people and significant events. Seeing the boots on display provokes visitors to share bunny boot lore with their friends and relatives.

Not even the Smithsonian collects everything: donations must sometimes be politely refused. It is hard to tell someone that their great uncle’s baby shoes just don’t make the cut. For museums, accepting a donation means making a commitment to securing, preserving, and housing it in climate-controlled space for centuries into the future. The cost of such a long-term commitment can be enormous, and everything we collect must have a specific function.

For the Alaska State Museum, the future of collecting is uncertain. Ongoing cuts to the museum budget have severely curtailed our ability to purchase needed objects once they are located or available. Space for exhibiting and storing new acquisitions is so severely depleted that we are forced to decline larger objects even when offered as a donation. On the plus side, the Rasmuson Foundation’s Art Acquisition Initiative has greatly expanded our ability to acquire significant works by contemporary Alaskan artists. With the valuable assistance of the Friends of the Alaska State Museum, as well as the many generous citizens offering important donations, we begin our second century “collecting Alaska.” 

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Web Posted March 2005