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: Thelma Hunt Gaikema Collection

COLLECTION NUMBER: B2018.025

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Dates: circa 1900-1930s

Extent: 3 boxes; 2.1 linear feet

Language and Scripts: The collection is in English.

Name of creator(s): Thelma Hunt Gaikema, Sydney Laurence, Richard David Shorthill, Charles
F. Cann, Cann-Loussac, Veryl Fuller, William E. Logemann, Guy F. Cameron, Trevor Davis,
Robert Bragaw, Hewitt’s Photo Shop, Magnus Heurlin

Administrative/Biographical History:
According to the donors, Thelma Hunt Gaikema was a teacher who originally came to Alaska
between 1900 and 1910. She married Nik Gaikema, a local guide and prospector who owned
and operated the gas boat Sea Lion in Cook Inlet. After Nik’s death, Thelma did some work as a
colorist for Cann Studio in Fairbanks, tinting photographic prints for sale.

An obituary for Thelma indicates that she was born in 1897 and died in 1978. Nicholas James
Gaikema was born about 1879 and died in 1943. Census records indicate that the two had a
son, James, born about 1924.

Scope and Content Description:
The collection consists of 132 photographic prints, 33 of which are hand-colored, and 24
nitrate negatives. All of the negatives are reproductions of paintings. Most of the prints are
scenics or reproductions of paintings. Some show Thelma and Nik Gaikema, as well as the boat
Sea Lion. For more information, see Detailed Description of Collection.


Arrangement: Arranged by format.


CONDITIONS GOVERNING ACCESS AND USE

Restrictions on Access: The collection is open for research use. Access to nitrate negatives is
restricted. Digital scans available for viewing.

Physical Access: Original items in fair to good condition.

Technical Access: No special equipment is needed to access the 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:
Thelma Hunt Gaikema Collection; Anchorage Museum, B2018.025

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Acquisition and Appraisal Information
Donated by grandnephew Tom Hunt to the Ketchikan Museums in December 2015. The
collection was transferred to the Anchorage Museum in December 2018.

Processing Note
Duplicates of photo prints discarded. Empty envelopes discarded. Records received from
Ketchikan Museums indicate that the materials had gotten wet prior to receipt, and that some
items sustained water damage at that time.

Separated Materials
Nitrate negatives scanned and removed to freezer.


SUBJECTS
Gaikema, Thelma Hunt
Gaikema, Nicholas James
Laurence, Sydney, 1868-1940
Art—Alaska
Photographs—Coloring

Alaska—Pictorial works
Denali, Mount (Alaska)

Detailed Description of the Collection

Nitrate negatives
B1 [removed to freezer]
1 — [Sydney Laurence painting of cabin in winter, name “Cameron, S-15” added to negative. Print .92]
2 — [Sydney Laurence painting of cabin, numbered S-16, tinted]
3 — [Sydney Laurence painting of boat, name “Cameron, S-9” added to negative. Negative damaged]
4 — [Sydney Laurence painting of cabin and figure leaning over camp fire, tinted. Print .91]
5 — [Sydney Laurence painting of cabin, numbered S-2]
6 — [Sydney Laurence painting of seascape, Cape St. Elias Pinnacle Rock, name “Cameron, S-4” added to negative, tinted. Print .78]
7 — [Sydney Laurence painting of Denali]
8 — [Sydney Laurence painting of Denali]
9 — [Sydney Laurence painting of cache and figure at camp fire, name “Cameron” added to negative]
10 — [Sydney Laurence painting of boats, store, and cache]
11 — [Sydney Laurence painting of boat, figure, and cache, numbered S-11, tinted. Print .90]
12 — [Sydney Laurence painting of figure at camp fire]
13 — [Sydney Laurence painting of cache, mountain, and birch tree, name “Cameron, S- [illegible]” added to negative, tinted. Print .96]
14 — [Sydney Laurence painting of figure at camp fire on shore, with boat, lean-to, cache, and trees. Print .88]
15 — [Sydney Laurence painting of cabin, figure, and cache]
16 — [Sydney Laurence painting of Denali. Print .82]
17 — [Sydney Laurence painting of figure with rifle]
18 — [Sydney Laurence painting of Denali]
19 — [Sydney Laurence painting of Denali]
20 — [Sydney Laurence painting of cache in winter, name “Cann-Loussac, Fairbanks, Alaska” added to negative. Print .112, .113]
21 — [Sydney Laurence painting of duck hunter in skiff. Print .99]
22 — [Sydney Laurence painting of Denali, tinted]
23 — [Sydney Laurence painting of Denali, name “Cameron, S-2” added to negative. Print .84]
24 — [Sydney Laurence painting of Denali, name “Cameron” added to negative] B2 Prints
 25 — Shorthill, Portland, Ore. [studio portrait of Thelma]
 26 — Shorthill, Portland, Ore. [studio portrait of Thelma]
 27 — [woman, possibly Thelma, aboard ship talking to man]
 28 — [woman, possibly Thelma, wearing fur stole, sitting on stone balustrade, probably Portland]
 29 — [woman, possibly Thelma, wearing fur stole, holding camera case, posed in garden, probably Portland]
 30 — [woman holding white gloves and brochure, posed in garden, probably Portland]
 31 — [woman, possibly Thelma, wearing fur stole, white gloves, and pearl necklace posed outdoors]
 32 — [distant view of crowd gathered around musicians performing in front of Healy House and New England Restaurant, man and woman walking towards camera, possibly Gaikema wedding?]
 33 — [man and woman on ice skates on frozen pond, possibly Thelma and Nik]
 34 — [woman and young boy fishing from small boat, possibly Thelma and James]
 35 — [woman and young boy in small boat, possibly Thelma and James]
 36 — [rowboat tied to tree on lakeshore. Contact print]
 37 — [man seated inside ship, possibly Nik inside the Sea Lion. Photographic postcard]
 38 — [boat Sea Lion tied to shoreline, rowboat loaded on stern, Cook Inlet?]
 39 — [six hunters posed on deck of boat Sea Lion holding ducks]
 40 — [Sydney Laurence wearing smock and holding palette, smoking cigarette in holder, painting seascape on canvas on easel in studio]
 41 — [two men sitting in low brush on lakeshore, log cabin in background, possibly Nik at right]
 42 — [rowboat tied to bank of creek through wooded area, small pedestrian bridge in background]
 43 — [scenic of lake, birch tree in foreground]
 44 — [scenic of rapids on creek, mountains in background]
 45 — [rowboat tied to bank of small inlet on lake]
 46 — [view down gravel highway, mountains in distance]
 47 — [scenic of creek through wooded area with snags along banks, Ship Creek?]
 48 — [scenic of mountains and trees]
 49 — [steaming fumarole in volcanic area, Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes?]
 50 — Sydney Laurence, c. 1920 [scenic of Denali, trees in foreground]
 51 — Winter in Fairbanks. Cann [scenic of hoar frost on trees, cabin at left]
 52 — Eskimo ice igloo, Point Barrow, Alaska. Cann Studio, Fairbanks, Aaa. [igloo, dog and sled frame in background]
 53 — Native handiwork, Tanana Indians, Alaska. Cann [Athabascan woman wearing headdress and moose hide shirt holding beaded item, bowls, pillows, and other items displayed next to her, large wall hanging illustrated with moose in background, furs hanging at left]
 54 — 80 [Chief Thomas’ son wearing formal beaded garments, holding arrows and beaded quiver]
 55 — Chief Thomas and wife, Tanana Indians, Alaska. Cann [Chief Thomas of Nenana and woman posed outdoors next to tree, both wearing regalia]
 56 — [Chief Thomas of Nenana wearing regalia posed outdoors next to river]
 57 — Bend in the river. Cann, Fairbanks [scenic view down river, trees in foreground, house in distance]
 58 — Mt. McKinley, 20,300 ft., Alaska. Cann Studio [man posed sitting on wing of biplane, Denali in background. According to Stevens’ Alaskan aviation history, man is Charles Cann, airplane is Joe Crosson’s Super Swallow, which arrived in Alaska in September 1926]
 59 — Mount Drum, Richardson Trail, Alaska. Cann Photo, 312 [scenic. 2 copies]
 60 — Northern Lights. Photo by Prof. Fuller. Cann, Fairbanks, Alaska [house and aurora borealis containing heart shape, 1933? Tinted. 2 copies]
 61 — Alaska brown bear. H.G. Kaiser, Alaska, 1913 [grizzly bear on beach]
 62 — When darkness settles over Anchorage bay. H.G. Kaiser, Anchorage, No. 1 [scenic of sunset over Cook Inlet, with steamship, skiff, and man rowing rowboat silhouetted on water, Point Woronzof at left]
 63 — Artic [sic] silver frost, Anchorage, Alaska. Logemann [scenic of hoar frost on trees in winter, roof of house in center foreground, Cook Inlet in background. Tinted]
 64 — Joy-riding, Anchorage, Alaska, 1922. Logemann Photo [man and woman with nine-dog team pulling sled on winter street, Ship Creek yards, Government Hill, and Cook Inlet in background, newspaper page on snow in foreground]
 65 — Going over into Broad Pass, Alaska. Logemann [dog team and two men struggling up hill through snow, pulling carcass of possibly Dall sheep]
 66 — Valdez Glacier, winter. V61, Guy F. Cameron [scenic]
 67 — Fair weather, Valdez Trail. V58, Guy F. Cameron [dog team resting on winter trail paralleling partially frozen river, two women riding in sled basket]
 68 — 706. Auk Lake. Trevor Davis [scenic of Auke Lake, road in foreground, Mendenhall Glacier in background]
 69 — [scenic of Denali, snags in river in foreground]
 70 — Mt. McKinley [scenic of Denali, snags in river in foreground]
 71 — A silver morning. Bragaw’s [scenic of hoar frost on trees. Tinted]
 72 — [Anchorage house with log fence. Same image as B1989.016.4242, described by Hewitt’s as “Weber home, summer”]
 73 — [scenic of lake, low mountains at right. Tinted]
 74 — [scenic of lake and clouds. Tinted]
 75 — [scenic of Palmer hay flats, Twin Peaks at left, Knik Glacier in distance, Matanuska Valley. Dormatone stamp on verso. Tinted]
 76 — [view down dirt road through wooded area, mountain in distance. Tinted. 2 copies]
 77 — [reproduction of seascape painting, Cape St. Elias Pinnacle Rock]
 78 — 130. Sydney Laurence [reproduction of seascape painting, Cape St. Elias Pinnacle Rock. Negative .6]
 79 — Sydney Laurence [reproduction of Denali painting. 2 copies, one in oversize]
 80 — Sydney Laurence [reproduction of Denali painting]
 81 — Mt. McKinley, Alaska. Sydney Laurence. 94, Cann-Loussac, Fairbanks, Alaska [reproduction of Denali painting]
 82 — Sydney Laurence [reproduction of Denali painting. Negative .16]
 83 — Mount McKinley. Cann [reproduction of Denali painting. Tinted. 2 copies]
 84 — Sydney Laurence [reproduction of Denali painting. Tinted. 4 copies. Negative .23]
 85 — [scenic of shelter, trees, and skiff on lakeshore. Tinted]
 86 — [reproduction of Sydney Laurence painting of cache, with moose antlers mounted on roof and boat hanging beneath. See Woodward (1990), pl. 69]
 87 — [reproduction of painting of figure at camp fire on shore, with boat, cache, and tree. Hewitt’s Photo Shop stamp on verso]
 88 — Sydney Laurence. Cann, Fairbanks [reproduction of painting of figure at camp fire on shore, with boat, lean-to, cache, and trees. Negative .14]
 89 — [reproduction of painting of figure cooking over camp fire next to cache. Hewitt’s Photo Shop stamp on verso]
 90 — Cache by the Sea. Sydney Laurence. Cann, Fairbanks [reproduction of painting of figure at camp fire on seashore, with boat, cache, and dead trees. Negative .11]
 91 — Sydney Laurence [reproduction of painting of cabin and figure leaning over camp fire. Tinted. 5 copies. Negative .4]
 92 — Sydney Laurence [reproduction of painting of cabin in winter. Negative .1]
 93 — Cann Studio, 32, Fairbanks, Alaska [on verso:] Lake Otis, Alaska [reproduction of painting of cabin on lake, tree stumps in foreground. Tinted]
 94 — Sydney Laurence. Cann Studio, Fairbanks, Alaska, 22 [reproduction of painting of cabin on creek, boat tied to bank in center]
 95 — Sydney Laurence. Cann Studio, Fairbanks, Alaska, 31 [reproduction of painting of cabin and birch trees. Tinted. 2 copies]
 96 — Cache, Sydney Laurence. Cann Studio [reproduction of painting of cache, mountain, and birch tree. Tinted. 4 copies. Negative .13. See also 2005.054.080e]
 97 — Sydney Laurence [reproduction of painting of musher and dog team on winter trail. Cann Studio stamp on verso. Tinted]
 98 — Sydney Laurence [reproduction of painting of man pulling sled through snow to cabin]
 99 — Sydney Laurence [reproduction of painting of duck hunter in skiff, three ducks flying at right. Negative .21. See Woodward (1990), pl. 68]
 100 — TKH Gaikema [reproduction of painting of northern lights over cabin in winter]
 101 — Sydney Laurence, 166 [reproduction of painting of northern lights over cabin in winter]
 102 — [reproduction of painting of star over cabin in winter, signature reads “Sydney Laurence” in unknown hand]
 103 — Heurlin. Hewitt’s Photo Shop, Anchorage [reproduction of painting of hunter with rifle and moose. See 1995.075.020] B3 Photo enlargements
 104 — [studio portrait of young boy, possibly James]
 105 — [scenic of field of wildflowers and birch trees]
 106 — Cameron [aurora borealis over homestead cabins and mountains. Composite image]
 107 — F6, Guy F. Cameron [scenic of creek, trees, and mountains. Tinted]
 108 — Alaska brownies. T.H. Gaikema [two grizzly bears walking on gravel bank of creek, mountains in background. Tinted]
 109 — [scenic of rainbow over lake and birch trees. Tinted]
 110 — [scenic of sailboat on lake, birch trees in foreground]
 111 — [reproduction of Sydney Laurence painting of Denali. See L1984.011.1. See Woodward (1990), pl. 50]
 112 — [reproduction of painting of cache in winter. Tinted. Negative .20]
 113 — [reproduction of painting of cache in winter. Negative .20]
 114 — [reproduction of painting of figure cooking over camp fire next to cache]
 115 — The northern lights. By Sydney Laurence. 145 [reproduction of painting of aurora borealis over cabin]
 116 — Sydney Laurence [reproduction of painting of cache and boat, cabin in background] Guide written: April 30, 2019