Scope and Contents: This collection consists of approximately 150 black and white photographs taken by or of Linn A. Forrest’s work on Southeast Alaska Native architecture and totem pole restoration projects in connection with his work for the U.S. Forest Service during the late 1930s as a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) project. These photos concern two projects that Forrest was involved in; the construction of the Shakes Island Community House and totems in Wrangell, Alaska during 1938-1939 and a totem pole restoration project in Sitka, Alaska during 1939. These items were formerly arranged in an album, presumably by Forrest, and have been removed and the original arrangement of Forrest has been retained.
The bulk of the collection consists of images documenting the Shakes Island Community House and totems. These images contain good views of construction of the meeting house, original and restored totems, views of totem and carving art, carvers and construction employees at work, the dedication ceremony of the completed House, a large traditional canoe used in conjunction of the ceremony, and images of specific Native elders connected to the dedication ceremony. These images are primarily 3.5 x 5 inch photos, but some smaller 1.5 x 2.25, as well as 5 x 7 and 8 x 11 inch photographs.
The second batch concerns images of a Sitka National Park totem restoration project. These images, primarily 1.5 x 2.25 inch photos, capture carvers at work on old and new totems and views of standing totems at the park. The final folder in the collection consists of a newspaper clipping about the project that was originally found in Forrest’s album. Of importance, this clipping contains hand-penciled corrections by Forrest about the inaccuracies in the article.
Note: MRV Architects donated Linn Forrest’s architectural drawings to the Juneau-Douglas City Museum in 2006, and were then accessioned under the number 2006.33. The National Archives Pacific Alaska Region branch, in Anchorage also contains correspondence concerning the CCC project to restore these totems, see: Record Group 95: Records of the Forest Service, 1870 - 2000; Creator: Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Region 10 (Alaska Region); Series: “Correspondence Relating to Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Activities, compiled ca. 1937 - ca. 1942”.
Folder listing at a glance:
Fd 1: Images of the Shakes Island Community House and totem project.
Fd 2: Images of the Shakes Island Community House and totem project.
Fd 3: Images of the Shakes Island Community House and totem project.
Fd 4: Images of the Sitka National Park totem restoration project.
Fd 5: Newspaper clipping entitled “Shakes Island House Gets a Face Lift”, undated.
Fd 6: Images of the Shakes Island Community House and totem project (donated in 2014).
| Sealaska Heritage Institute Archives
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