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, Archivist

TITLE: Wesley Randles Slides

COLLECTION NUMBER: B2017.002

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Dates: 1956-1957

Extent: 40 items

Language and Scripts: The collection is in English.

Name of creator(s): Wesley Randles

Administrative/Biographical History:
Wesley C. Randles worked at the DEW Line sites at Point Barrow and Kaktovik during 1956 and
1957.

Scope and Content Description:
The collection consists of 40 color 35mm slides taken by Randles during his time in Alaska.
There are ten images of DEW Line sites, including one image of a polar bear shot by base
personnel after it attacked a Jeep. The remainder of the images show scenes of rural life and
subsistence activities. Two photographs were taken at Eklutna, presumably while Randles was
traveling through Anchorage. For more information, see Detailed Description of Collection.

Arrangement: Arranged by subject


CONDITIONS GOVERNING ACCESS AND USE

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


Physical Access: Original items in fair to good condition, with some color shifting.

Technical Access: No special equipment is needed to access the materials. A light box may be
used to view transparencies.

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:
Wesley Randles Slides; Anchorage Museum, B2017.002

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Acquisition and Appraisal Information
Donated by daughter Diane Kjeldsen in 2017.

Processing Note
Six slides discarded due to condition.


SUBJECTS
DEW Line
Radar defense networks—United States
Air defenses—United States
Barrow (Alaska)
Kaktovik (Alaska)
Kaktovik Village
Eklutna (Alaska)


Detailed Description of the Collection
 1 — Construction, our first good snow, 9-21-56 [close-up of radar antennas under construction]
 2 — Barter site, close up of radar dome [radome in winter]
 3 — Console at POW-3, 1-25-57 [interior of site]
 4 — POW-3 from radar platform, 1-25-57 [bird’s eye view of buildings and storage tanks in deep snow]
 5 — [radome in winter, Point Barrow?]
 6 — Me and snowmobile at BAR, 4-10-57 [man driving continuous track vehicle]
 7 — Water wanagan, ice 8’ thick hole, pump water out, 4-10-57 [tractor pulling wanigan on ice]
 8 — Pumping water at Point Barrow, summer time [two men standing on trailer with water tank, one man kneeling next to river with hose]
 9 — [radome and antennas in summer, Point Barrow?]
10 — Point Barrow from the air [aerial of radar site in winter]
 11 — Big white polar bear, fellow shot him [man standing next to polar bear carcass hanging in building]
12 — [Alaska Native hunters with polar bear carcass on ice, one man holding rifle, freight sleds at left. At AFN 2017, hunters identified as Herman Rexford with rifle, Perry Akootchook at right, location identified as Kaktovik]
13 — [polar bear on ice, tip of harpoon in foreground]
 14 — Ice flow, Arctic Ocean summer time, BAR, 9-25-56 [ice chunks in water]
 15 — Eskimo schoolhouse, 7-14 yrs., back of mess hall, BAR, 10-15-56 [wooden building, many metal barrels at right]
 16 — Eskimo village, BAR, 10-13-56 [schoolhouse in foreground, other buildings at left]
17 — Volleyball at recess, school, Barter Island, 15 April 1957 [men and women playing volleyball on tundra. At AFN 2017, woman standing at center wearing fur parka identified as Eunice Agiak Sims, location as Kaktovik]
18 — Eskimo kids, Kaktovik school, Barter Island, Alaska, 4-15-57 [students inside classroom. At AFN 2017, two boys facing camera in center identified as Mickey Agiak in blue shirt, Jimmy Soplu in plaid shirt]
19 — [children and adults sitting in auditorium waiting to watch a movie, man standing at film projector in background. At AFN 2017, identified as (front row) Thomas Gordon second left, Mickey Agiak center, Jimmy Allen second right; (second row) Alfred Linn Jr. and Ben Linn at right; (third row left to right) Betty Allen, Louise Kittick, Maggie Allen, possibly Ruth Tagarook, Fenton Rexford, Mary Rexford Warden]
20 — [man dressed as Santa Claus handing out presents to children, Christmas tree in background, candy apples on tray at left. At AFN 2017, boy at far left tentatively identified as Mickey Agiak, boy in center with hooded jacket as Ben Linn, boy behind Linn as Sammy Gordon, tall boy at center back as Jimmy Soplu, girl seen full face next to tree as Eve Ahlers, girl closest to doorway as Georgianna Gordon]
21 — [five children standing next to cardboard mantel hung with Christmas stockings. At AFN 2017, identified as Sam Agiak at right, Susie Akootchook in center, possibly William Akootchook second left]
22 — [woman wearing fancy parka holding Christmas stocking filled with fruit and candy. At AFN 2017, identified as either Frances or Georgianna Gordon wearing a Canadian Inuit style parka. Cf. .19 back row second left]
 23 — [group of people gathered on ice edge, with tents, dog teams, and sleds, possibly whaling camp]
 24 — Eskimo dog sled [musher and dog team on tundra, man at right standing in snow up to his knees, mountain range in background]
25 — Eskimo children [four children posed outdoors. At AFN 2017, identified as Kaktovik, with left to right: Jane Akootchook Thompson, possibly Ben Akootchook, Susie Akootchook, and Ida Akootchook Agnasan]
26 — [children playing next to drying rack, buildings in background]
27 — [woman wearing St. Lawrence style parka with two children in basket of sled. At AFN 2017, location identified as St. Lawrence Island, with the CAA housing at Gambell visible in left background]
 28 — Igloo shelter (snow not green) [snow shelter on ice, photographer’s shadow in foreground]
 29 — [group of people on ice edge, whale meat pile in foreground, tent at right, whaling camp]
 30 — [whale carcass partially hauled onto ice edge with rope tied around tail]
31 — [hunters on ice edge with Western style boat, walrus carcass on ice. At AFN 2017, identified as Al Hopson’s boat at Barrow, with George Hopson in foreground, George Ungarook at left]
 32 — [distant view of walruses on ice floe]
 33 — [snowy owl owlets in food crate]
34 — [ptarmigan on tundra]
35 — [caribou on tundra]
 36 — Hula-Hula River [aerial of Hulahula River]
 37 — Highest mts. peak 9720 ft., us at 9100 ft. Brooks Range, 9-18-56 [aerial of mountains]
 38 — Glacier in Brooks Range, north Alaska [aerial of mountains]
 39 — Graves in mission cemetery [spirit houses at Eklutna]
 40 — Eskimo mission cemetery [spirit houses at Eklutna] Guide updated: December 28, 2017