Amos L. Wallace Collection, 1890-2013 | Sealaska Heritage Institute Archives

This collection contains the personal papers, photographs, recordings, and art pieces of Tlingit artist Amos L. Wallace (1920-2004). The collection has high research value for understanding the professional and personal life of an accomplished Tlingit artist, as well as the actions of the Tlingit community in regards to culture and political actions. The collection also has high potential for museum exhibition purposes.

The collection has been organized into three Series of materials; Series 1: Amos Wallace Papers; Series 2: Amos Wallace Photographs; and Series 3: Amos Wallace Art.

Series 1 contains Amos Wallace’s papers, including his personal and professional papers. These consist of correspondence, legal papers, clippings about Wallace, interviews of Wallace, and other documents.

Series 2 consists of photographs that concern Amos Wallace, approximately 500 images in total. These photographs capture images of Wallace working on his art, images of his art, photographs from scrapbooks, historic family photographs, and digital photographs of Wallace’s art (most in family possession) taken by his son Brian Wallace.

Series 3 consists of art items created by or associated with Wallace. These include hand drawn art sketches, hand drawn art patterns (such as bracelet patterns) used by Wallace for his work, metal jewelry patterns, reference images of art, unfinished art items, and oversized art drawings, papers, and photographs.

Series 4 consists of recordings collected, made by, or of Amos L. Wallace. These recordings were captured on open reel, mostly all by Wallace, as he was acting as a type of ethnographer/historian among his own community; documenting important events, meetings, and actions of the community. These recordings include content concerning Wallace as an artist, the Alaska Native Brotherhood and Sisterhood, the Central Council of Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, land claims, land tenure, interactions with the BIA, and other.

Researcher Note: Sealaska Heritage Institute also holds other art items created by Amos Wallace and his brother Lincoln Wallace. Contact the curator for questions. Sealaska Heritage Institute also contains the photographs of Amos Wallace’s son, Brian Wallace, which contain images of Amos and the wider Wallace family.