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: Charles and Wiona Browning Collection

COLLECTION NUMBER: B2014.030

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Dates: 1917-1994

Extent: 1 box; 0.4 linear feet

Language and Scripts: The collection is in English.

Name of creator(s): Charles and Wiona Browning, Vern Brickley, Ward W. Wells

Administrative/Biographical History:
Charles A. “Brownie” and Wiona Day Browning were married in 1938 in Montana and then
moved to Seattle, Washington. They relocated to Anchorage in 1946, where they owned and
operated a welding business as well as Wiona’s Gift Shop, a well-known Fourth Avenue store
selling Native arts, crafts, and antiquities. They first built a log cabin at 1335 Ingra Street near
13th Avenue, and later, a house at 418 L Street. The couple moved back to Montana in 2001.
Brownie died in 2002; Wiona died in 2005.

Scope and Content Description:
The collection consists of 247 images (black-and-white and color prints, Polaroids, 35mm
slides, negatives) and ephemera created or collected by Charles and Wiona Browning. Family
photos include images of the Brownings’ homes, activities and outings with friends, and
scenes of damage after the 1964 Alaska Earthquake (.54-74). There are also store inventory
photos of Alaska Native arts and crafts as well as portraits of Alaska Native artists. For more
information, see Detailed Description of Collection.

Arrangement: Arranged by format and subject



CONDITIONS GOVERNING ACCESS AND USE

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

Physical Access: Original items in good condition.

Technical Access: No special equipment is needed to access the materials. Light box may be
used to view film 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:
Charles and Wiona Browning Collection, Anchorage Museum, B2014.030

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Acquisition and Appraisal Information
Donated by Guy Maclure and Kevin Binns on behalf of the Browning estate in September
2014.

RELATED MATERIALS
Alaska Artists Files

SUBJECTS
Browning, Wiona Day, 1917-2005
Browning, Charles, 1915-2002
Malewotkuk, Florence Napaaq, 1906-1971
Moses, James Kivetoruk, 1900-1982
Moses, Bessie Ahgupuq
Alaska Native arts
Alaska Native artists
Art galleries, Commercial – Alaska – Anchorage
Gift shops – Alaska – Anchorage
Alaska Earthquake, Alaska, 1964
Earthquakes – Alaska – Anchorage
Earthquake damage – Alaska – Anchorage
Anchorage (Alaska)


Detailed Description of the Collection

[Unless otherwise indicated, item is b&w print]

F1: Personal photographs
 1 — Leticia[?] & Wiona [studio portrait of two women, 1930s?]
 2 — Wiona Day, Nevada, Iowa (Mar. 26, 1917) [infant portrait. photographic postcard]
 3 — Wiona [tinted portrait]
 4 — Wiona Browning, 1943? [studio portrait]
5 — Pauline & Wiona [two women wearing aprons posed in snow, Anchorage late 1940s?]
 6 — Brownie, Wiona, Aug. 4, 1938, Wheeler, MT, wedding day [man and woman posed next to automobile]
 7 — Brownie & Wiona, Aug. 4, 1938, Wheeler, MT, wedding day [man and woman posed next to automobile]
 8 — [wedding portrait with bouquet, Charles and Wiona]
 9 — Brownie & Wiona, Aug. 4, 1938 [wedding portrait without bouquet]
 10 — Brownie, 1939 in Wheeler, MT [man posed on automobile fender, buildings in background]
 11 — Wiona & Brownie [man and woman standing in yard, house in background]
 12 — Brownie & Wiona [man and woman posed next to automobiles, Wiona wearing dress, high heels, and coat with fur trim, Brownie wearing suit and necktie]
 13 — Brownie, Wiona, 1947 [man and woman standing in snow next to hoar-frosted trees]
 14 — 1947 [similar to .13]
 15 — Brownie & Wiona, 1947 [man and woman standing in snow next to hoar-frosted trees, buildings in background, photographer’s shadow in foreground]
 16 — Wiona, 1947 [woman standing in snow, buildings in background]
 17a — Brownie, Wiona [similar to .13]
 17b — [portrait of Charles and Wiona indoors, Charles seated and holding infant]
 18 — Wiona in tank yard [woman standing next to crane in lot in summer. b&w Polaroid]
19 — Start of log home, Brownie [man standing in frame of house near Ingra and 13th]
 20 — Wiona at beginning of log house [woman sitting on house frame, lumber in foreground]
21 — 1335 Ingra [automobile parked next to log cabin on unpaved road, with birch trees]
 22 — Taken after we came back last winter right after we had a fresh snow, 1335 Ingra St. [log cabin in winter, with icicles on eaves]
 23 — Log house being built, 1335 Ingra, Wiona, 1940s [woman posed next to log cabin. color print]
 24 — Wiona [similar to .23. color print]
 25 — Matanuska Glacier. Too cloudy for a good color picture. Tommy must have been talking when the picture was snapped [two women posed with glacier in background. Color print]
 26 — 1335 Ingra, our log house [log cabin in winter, hoar frost on trees. Color print. Cf. .39]
 27 — Brownings’ log home, Anchorage [similar to .26. color print]
 28 — At Hilda’s party [man leaning over talking to two seated women. b&w Polaroid]
 29 — Fish wheel near Copper Center [man, possibly Charles, posed on small fish wheel in river]
 30 — Fish wheel, July 1948, Copper Center? [man and woman posed on fish wheel in river]
 31 — Brownie on road to Valdez [man posed on steel girder on bridge]
 32 — Wiona on old road to Valdez [woman posed with large plant leaf]
 33 — Carol Peters & Tommy Thomas on old road to Valdez [two women posed with leaves]
 34 — Horsetail Falls on road to Valdez. Kurt & Tomi Thomas, Brownie, Carol Peters [people posed at base of waterfall]
 35 — Worthington Glacier. The cracks (fissures) are a bright clear blue [glacier terminus]
 36 — Glacier near Keystone Canyon. Worthington Glacier on road to Valdez [valley glacier]
 37 — [spirit houses in Orthodox cemetery, possibly Eklutna]
 38 — Picture #1 – the best view I could get of the ship. This I took before you arrived [view down dock to gangplank of Alaska Steamship Co. passenger ship]
 39 — Log house, 1335 Ingra [log cabin in winter, hoar frost on trees. Color print. Cf. .26]
 40 — Just finishing the house on 13th & Ingra, Wiona [woman standing on stoop of wood- sided house]
41 — Mama in log house driveway, 1335 Ingra, Anchorage, 1962 [woman wearing print raincoat standing in unpaved drive, log cabin and birch trees in background]
 42 — Tomi Thomas, Brownie, Wiona, “L” St. house [two women reclining in lawn chairs, shirtless man leaning against house; print date June 66. Color print]
 43 — Thomas’, Wiona, L St. [two people seated in lawn chairs, Cook Inlet in background; print date June 66. Color print]
 44 — Wiona, Tomi, & Curt Thomas, backyard at 418 L [three people on lawn overlooking Cook Inlet, man holding bottle of beer; print date June 66. Color print]
 45 — Mama in our backyard on L St., Anchorage, 1962 [woman standing on lawn overlooking Cook Inlet, utility pole at right. color print]
 46 — N.W. corner of dining room and the old geranium I didn’t get moved [house interior, with bird cage, houseplants, table, sideboard, curtained windows. Color print]
 47 — Log cabin scene Brownie made on our piano [model with cache, cabin, and other structures beneath painting mounted on wall; print date Apr 67. Color print]
 48 — 418 L [house interior at Christmas, with tree, fireplace, holiday decorations. Color print]
 49 — Brownie, Christmas, 1960s [man seated on couch next to tree, holiday cards mounted on wall; print date Apr 67. Color print]
 50 — Thanksgiving Day dinner, Clarence, Dale, Pauline, Debby, Wiona, Apt. #101 [people seated around table set for holiday; print date Nov 73]
 51 — Brownie, Christmas morning, 1979? [man posed next to television set with small tree on top, holiday cards mounted on wall, possibly Machetanz painting on wall. Color Polaroid]
 52 — Wiona [woman posed next to painting, possibly Machetanz]
 53 — Brownie & Wiona, 50th anniv., Williston, N.D. [man and woman seated at table with cake. Color print]
 54 — Downtown bldg., Anchorage, Mar. 28, 1964 (after 8.5 quake of 5 min.) [exterior of Bagoy’s Florist on Fourth Avenue; print date June 66. Color print]
 55 — [similar to .54; print date June 66. Color print]
 56 — 1964 earthquake, J.C. Penney? [man with camera standing next to snow fencing, taking photograph of damaged parking garage; print date June 66. Color print]
 57 — [view down north side of Fourth Avenue, with earthquake damage to businesses including Anchorage Hardware, Northern Jewelers, Seidenverg & Kay, D & D Bar & Café; print date June 66. Color print]
 58 — [similar to .56; print date June 66. Color print]
 59 — [people walking near large fissure in ground near L Street]
 60 — [people standing above subsided section of roadway, with damage to automobiles and buildings]
 61 — [close-up of large fissure in earth, automobiles on both sides]
 62 — [bird’s eye view of damaged homes in Turnagain]
 63 — [structural damage to unidentified multi-story building]
 64 — [view down Fourth Avenue, looking west, with Frisco Bar & Café, Sportsman’s Club, D & D Bar & Café, Koslosky’s, McLain’s Camera Center, Westward Hotel in distance]
 65 — [bird’s eye view of subsided section of ground, man standing in snow near damaged house at bottom]
 66 — [damaged multi-story building, possibly Government Hill school]
 67 — [view down Fourth Avenue, looking east, with D & D Bar & Café, Sportsman’s Club, Frisco Bar & Café, Mac’s Foto, Scandinavian Club Bar, Hunter Bar, banner for “Our Town” hanging across street]
 68 — [damage to Anchorage Cold Storage]
 69 — [damage to Bagoy’s Florist, man walking past van parked in front]
 70 — [automobile crushed by displaced house]
 71 — [automobile crushed in rubble at Turnagain]
 72 — [heaved earth, leaning trees, and damaged house at Turnagain]
 73 — [burned and flooded tanks and rail cars, Seward?]
 74 — [damage to railroad yard, with boat on tracks, debris piles, mountains in distance, Seward?]
 75 — Have just arrived in Alaska. Brickley, E-16 [bush airplane on beach with large groups of Alaska Natives gathered around it, dog in foreground. photographic postcard]
 76 — Seward, Alaska [bird’s eye view of town buildings and docks, mountains in background. photographic postcard, addressed to Mr. & Mrs. Chas. Browning from Mrs. Smith, postmarked Seattle, May 19, 1951] F2: Store/People
 77 — [Charles posed in front of fireplace wearing Chilkat robe and spruce root hat. Color Polaroid]
 78 — [similar to .77, showing back of robe. Color Polaroid]
 79 — [man wearing eyeglasses seated on couch reading magazine, art hung on walls in background, possibly Charles. Color Polaroid]
 80 — Pauline, Wiona, trade beads [Wiona and two other people seated at table covered with lace tablecloth, strands of beads on table. Color Polaroid]
 81 — [Wiona in store in front of display shelves holding art and artifacts, masks and tusks mounted on wall. Color Polaroid]
 82 — [Wiona in store in front of display shelves holding art and artifacts, masks and tusks mounted on wall. b&w Polaroid]
 83 — [similar to .82. b&w Polaroid]
 84 — [Wiona in store in front of display shelves holding art and artifacts. b&w Polaroid]
 85 — [similar to .84. b&w Polaroid]
 86 — [similar to .84. b&w Polaroid]
 87 — Olive Johnson & Ellie Eckstrom [two women posed in store. Color Polaroid]
 88 — [Wiona and man, possibly Charles, seated, playing Eskimo yo-yo, art on wall in background. Color print]
 89a — [Wiona posed behind display counter in store, with art and artifacts on counter behind, masks and art mounted on wall. Color print]
 89b — [customer standing in store playing Eskimo yo-yo, Wiona at counter in background. Color print]
 90 — [interior of store. Color print]
 91 — Mabelle & Wiona in the shop [two women standing next to partial wall with mounted art; printed date 9-29-94. Color print]
92 — [James Kivetoruk Moses and Bessie Ahgupuq Moses standing indoors holding a bleached seal skin; print date July 1969. Color print]
 93 — Evelyn Ramsey at Nome after Iditarod race, presenting Muktuk Marston with portrait she did of him [woman and man holding framed painting. Color print]
94 — [portrait of woman with chin tattooing, identified as Florence Malewotkuk. Color print] F3: Shop inventory (1)
 95 —143 – [images of art and artifacts, some with captions and/or dates] F4: Shop inventory (2)
 144 —176 – [images of art and artifacts, some with captions and/or dates] F5: Shop inventory (3)
 177 —222 – [images of art and artifacts, including 6 b&w prints taken by Ward Wells, #7168-1, 7168-2, 7161-1] F6: Negatives and Slides
 223 —242 – [20 color medium format negatives] .223 – [woman standing in entrance of house, possibly Wiona] .224 – [exterior of house] .225 – [woman and children in tropical dress at party outside house] .226 – [two women reclining in lawn chairs in yard of house] .227 – [similar to .226]
 228 — [man standing next to log cabin, possibly Charles]
 229 — [three women and man standing next to log cabin]
 230 — [young woman standing next to bush outside log cabin]
 231 — [three women boarding boat on lake]
 232 — [two women fishing from boat on lake]
 233 — [similar to .232]
 234 — [two women posed at glacier terminus, Portage?]
 235 — [three women posed on dock at small boat harbor]
 236 — [view out airplane window]
 237 — [Cordova Airlines airplane at airport]
 238 — [woman standing outside log cabin]
 239 — [three people at Eklutna cemetery]
 240 — [similar to .239]
 241 — [woman and two children posed on gravel road next to lake]
 242 — [two women standing next to flower bed, downtown Anchorage]
 243 — [log house in winter, with hoar-frosted trees, Anchorage]
 244 — Ziegler, E.P. Sentinels of Paradise. Paradise Valley, Mt. Rainier, 11 ½ X 9 ½ [painting]
 245 — Ziegler, E.P. Trees & rocks. Alla Vista, Paradise Park, 11 ½ X 9 ½ [painting] F7: Paper materials [News clippings, business cards, letterhead, correspondence] Guide written: May 8, 2015