Collecting Alaska: Recent Acquisitions

This is a Web version of the Alaska State Museum’s 2004 exhibition of artifacts and artwork selected from over 1600 objects the museum acquired over the past decade. Representing many intriguing aspects of Alaska life, past and present, Native and non-Native, the exhibit pays tribute to generous donors and gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse at how the museum selects items to represent the history and cultures of Alaska.

The museum collects “all things Alaskan” but cannot acquire everything. Museum curators seek out and research potential acquisitions to determine whether they can and should be preserved. Funding and storage space limit what can be saved, and criteria such as significance, rarity, condition, and authenticity are carefully evaluated. Only items that might serve an educational or research function are chosen for the permanent collection.

In addition to collecting older material of importance, the museum selects relatively modern artifacts to reflect contemporary Alaska life. By collecting these items, the museum predicts their future significance and their ability to interpret today’s culture to people of the 21^st century and beyond.  

Steve Henrikson
Curator of Collections

View list of donors

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Web Posted March 2005