REFERENCE CODE: AkAMH

REPOSITORY NAME:
Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center
Bob and Evangeline Atwood Alaska Resource Center
625 C Street
Anchorage, AK 99501
Phone: 907-929-9235
Fax: 907-929-9233
Email: resourcecenter@anchoragemuseum.org

Guide prepared by: Sara Piasecki, Photo Archivist

TITLE: Joan C. Ray Collection

COLLECTION NUMBER: B2005.017

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Dates: ca. 1939-1988

Extent: 1.0 linear feet

Language and Scripts: The collection is in English.

Name of creator(s): Joan Q. Chisholm Ray

Administrative/Biographical History:
Joan Q. Chisholm Ray was the daughter of John J. (Jack) Chisholm, traveling foodstuffs
salesman, and Carlotta Chisholm, who, with her sister May V. Beattie, operated the Hotel
Parsons located at Third Avenue and H Street in Anchorage. Jack had come to Juneau with his
father in 1894, and first settled in Anchorage in 1915. He was known as the “Dean of Alaska
salesman” for his work with Seattle grocery firms. The family owned the city’s third residence,
located at 926 Third Ave.

Joan Chisholm was born Sept. 19, 1919, in Portland, OR. She moved to Anchorage with her
family in the 1930s. She worked in various positions before joining Pacific Northern Airlines in
1951. In 1956, she married Jack G. Ray. She retired in 1980 and died Jan. 9, 2000.

Scope and Content Description:
Collection consists of 79 black-and-white photographs, one VHS videocassette, and four ledger
books. Nineteen photographs are early Alaskan scenes, circa 1930s. Two photographs of
military aircraft date from World War II. The set of 58 photographs taken by Ray in May 1988
document downtown Anchorage. The videocassette is labeled “Alaska-Aleutians: World War
II.” Also included are four ledger books from the Hotel Parsons, dated 1943-1949.


Arrangement:
Arranged in three series: 1. Early Alaskan photographs; 2. Ray Anchorage photographs; 3.
Videocassette and ledger books.


CONDITIONS GOVERNING ACCESS AND USE

Restrictions on Access: The collection is open for research use.

Physical Access: Materials in good condition.

Technical Access: VHS videocassette player required to view video materials.

Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use:
The Anchorage Museum is the owner of the materials and makes available reproductions for
research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Anchorage
Museum before any reproduction use. The Anchorage Museum does not necessarily hold
copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may
require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.

Preferred Citation:
Joan C. Ray Collection; Anchorage Museum, B2005.017

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Acquisition and Appraisal Information
Materials donated by Karen C. Cameron, niece of Joan Ray.

Processing Notes
Nine near duplicate photographs from the Ray Anchorage series were deaccessioned.

Separated Materials
Objects (buttons, pins) transferred to Collections, May 2011.

Notes

RELATED MATERIALS


SUBJECTS
Chisholm, John C., 1875-1957
Chisholm, Carlotta Quinn, 1885-1965
Ray, Joan Chisholm, 1919-2000
Hotel Parsons (Anchorage, Alaska)
World War, 1939-1945
Anchorage (Alaska)

Fourth Avenue (Anchorage, Alaska)
Fairbanks (Alaska)
Palmer (Alaska)
Seward (Alaska)
Knik Glacier (Alaska)

Detailed Description of the Collection
B1/F1
Early Alaska photographs
 1 — Fairbanks, Alaska [street scene, Bank of Fairbanks, Kaye Fur Corp., Golden Belt Tours Inc., Alaska Steamship Co., automobiles, military personnel] .2 – Alaskan Totem Pole .3 – Alaskan Sunset [Cook Inlet?] .4 – Big Ice Floes, Alaska .5 – Placier [sic] Glacier, Alaska [Spencer Glacier?] .6 – Floating Icebergs, Alaska .7 – Otter Lake .8 – Alaskan Storm [trees and sky] .9 – Eskimo Raincoat [girl in feathered gut parka] .10 – Palmer, Alaska .11 – Baby Moose, Alaska .12 – Knick [sic] Glacier, Alaska .13 – First Alaskan Locomotive [Fairbanks rail depot] .14 – Looking for Trouble [bear cubs on gun turret] .15 – Kenai Mountains, Alaska .16 – Alaskan Sourdoughs Home [log cabin] .17 – Seward Port .18 – 200 Foot Iceberg Crevasses, Alaska
 19 — Bars & Bars, Anchorage, Alaska [Sourdough Cocktail Bar, Owl Cocktail Bar, Schodde’s, Big Dipper Bar, [?] Steam Baths, City Hotel, automobiles, people]
 20 — [airstrip, pilot, airplane with Stars and Bars insignia, ca. 1943-47, number 447068 on tail]
 21 — [airstrip, airplane with Stars and Bars insignia, ca. 1943-47, and Great Seal of the United States] B1/F2 Ray Anchorage Photographs, May 1988 .22 – Look south down D toward 5 th from corner of 4 th & D .23 – Looking west down 4 th from 4th & D .24 – Looking east down 4 th from corner of 4 th & D
25 — Looking west down 4 th from corner of E & 4th [4 th Avenue Theatre, Grizzly’s Gifts] .26 – Looking east down 4 th from corner of E & 4 th [National Bank of Alaska]
27 — Looking west from corner of 4 th & F [4 th Avenue Theatre]
 28 — Looking east down 4 th Ave from corner of F & 4 th
 29 — Looking west down 4 th from corner of F & 4 th
30 — Looking east down 4 th from corner of G & 4th [4 th Avenue Theatre]
 31 — Looking west down 4 th from H St
32 — Looking east down from 4 th & H [4 th Avenue Theatre]
 33 — Looking east southside 800 blk 4 th corner of I & 4th [Alaska Cleaners]
 34 — Captain Cook Hotel from corner of 4 th & I
 35 — Looking east down 4 th Ave from corner of 4 th & I [First Interstate Bank]
 36 — Southside 4 th Ave 900 blk looking west [Keyboard Cocktails]
 37 — West end 800 blk 4 th Ave southside [Alaska Cleaners]
 38 — Anchorage [Daily] Times building southside 800 blk 4 th Ave
 39 — Southeast corner 4 th & H 700 blk
 40 — 4 th & H southside 800 blk [Anchorage Daily Times]
 41 — 700 blk 4 th Ave northside looking east [Pioneer Club]
 42 — NW corner 4 th & H 800 blk 4 th
 43 — Center of block northside 700 blk 4 th Ave [Pioneer Club, Allen’s Nugget Jewelry, Dan’s Camera Repair]
 44 — 700 blk northside 4 th Ave center of block [Gaslight, Novosel’s Jewelry, Larry Beck’s Alaskana]
 45 — Old Federal building 600 blk 4 th Ave northside
 46 — Northside 600 blk 4 th Ave 4 th & G [Trapper Jack’s Trading Post]
 47 — 700 blk southside 4 th Ave [Alaskan Ivory Exchange]
48 — Southside 600 blk 4 th Ave [4 th Avenue Theatre, Adams’, Tour Alaska]
49 — Southside 600 blk 4 th looking west [4 th Avenue Theatre, Woolworth’s]
 50 — 500 blk northside 4 th Ave [Alaska Sightseeing Tours, Stewarts Photo Shop]
 51 — Old Federal building 600 blk 4 th Ave northside
 52 — 500 blk 4 th Ave northside looking west [Grizzly’s Gifts, Anchorage Hotel]
 53 — NW corner 4 th & E 500 blk 4 th east end [Grizzly’s Gifts, Anchorage Hotel]
 54 — West end 400 blk 4 th Ave northside [McDonald’s]
 55 — Southside 400 blk 4 th Ave ½ Carrol bldg center [National Bank of Alaska, Alaska Treasure Shop]
 56 — 500 blk 4 th Ave looking west, old city hall [Key Bank]
 57 — West end 400 blk southside 4 th Ave ½ of Carrol bldg in center [National Bank of Alaska, Martin Victor Furs]
 58 — Wendler bldg southside 400 blk 4 th Ave east end [Club 25, Alaska Heritage Arts, Myron Rosenberg Gallery]
 59 — Wendler bldg SW corner 4 th & D 400 blk [Club 25, Alaska Heritage Arts, Myron Rosenberg Gallery]
 60 — Wendler bldg SW corner 4 th & D 400 blk [Club 25, Alaska Heritage Arts, Myron Rosenberg Gallery]
 61 — Sunshine Plaza 4 th Ave northside 400 blk [Tito’s Gyros]
 62 — Post Office Mall 4 th Ave n. side 300 blk [KEAG-FM, Fashion Wigs, Hilton Hotel]
 63 — 4 th 300 blk southside [Turf News, Army-Navy Surplus, Panhandle Bar-Café]
 64 — 4 th Ave 300 blk southside east end of block [Turf News, Army-Navy Surplus, Panhandle Bar-Café]
 65 — 4 th & D southside west end of blk corner bldg police substation [Arctic Treasures Loan, The Avenue Bar]
 66 — 300 blk 4 th southside toward center of block [Arctic Treasures Loan, The Avenue Bar]
 67 — 4 th & D northside Sunshine Plaza & Post Office Mall
 68 — 300 blk 4 th northside Post Office Mall
 69 — 4 th & D looking north
 70 — 4 th & D looking south down D toward 5 th [Cyrano’s Books & Café, Kodiak Furs, Anchorage 5 th Avenue Mall]
 71 — 4 th & G southside [First National Bank of Anchorage]
 72 — 4 th & G southside [First National Bank of Anchorage]
73 — 600 blk southside 4 th Ave [4 th Avenue Theatre]
 74 — 4 th & G northside [Trapper Jack’s Trading Post]
 75 — Old city hall 500 blk southside 4 th Ave [Visitor Information Center]
 76 — 400 blk southside 4 th Ave [Alaska Treasure Shop]
 77 — 500 blk northside 4 th Ave [Leidenverg & Kay’s, 515 Cocktail Lounge, Phillips Cruises & Tours, Anchorage Hotel, Grizzly’s Gifts]
 78 — 500 blk northside 4 th Ave [Gray Line of Alaska, Alaska Sightseeing Tours, Grant’s Fine Jewelry, Fur Trappers, Kumagoro Restaurant, Stewarts Photo Shop]
 79 — 500 blk northside 4 th Ave [Stewarts Photo Shop, Downtown Deli and Café, Arctic Passage Gifts] B1/F3 .80 – VHS videocassette: Alaska-Aleutians, World War II B2
 81 — Ledger book: Hotel Parsons, August 1943-December 1949; bank deposits and withdrawals
 82 — Ledger book: Hotel Parsons, August 1943-December 1949; assets, liabilities, capital, income, expenses
 83 — Wage-Hour Social Security Monthly Time Book, August 1943-December 1949
 84 — Ekonomik Check Register, the First National Bank, Oct. 16, 1947-Nov. 8, 1949