Welcome to my personal photograph collection.

These original photographs are NOT for sale.


Do you need 'one time use' of Alaska historical photographs for your research or publication?
For a fee I will provide access (like a stock photo agency) to the images in my extensive private collection, which is particularly strong in Alaska photographs from the 1870's through the 1880's.
Many of these important images have been acquired over a lifetime of intensive collecting, and can be found nowhere else.
The fee depends on what you need the image for or the nature of the publication.

As time permits I will add the titles of images in my collection. I have especially strong holdings of Brodeck, Ingersoll, Partridge, Davidson, McIntyre, Broadbent, Continent Stereoscopic, etc.

Cabinet cards

I have a large collection of early Alaska cabinet cards from the various Corwin expeditions to northern Alaska in the 1880's. Many of these are annotated by the crew member who owned them, providing information not available elsewhere.
Early cabinet card portrait of a young Frederick Cook, in his arctic fur parka and fur pants, and on showshoes, taken at a Brooklyn, N. Y. studio.
I have a few rare and important original photographs (albumen cabinet cards & lantern slides) of the Inupiat (Eskimo) Qatngut (trade fair) at Sisualik (Seshalik, Sheshalik, Shesshlik), near Kotzebue, Alaska, taken in the 1880's. These are, in my opinion, among the most important ethnographic photographs of 19th century Alaska.
Cabinet card photograph of a young Charles Walker Raymond in his U. S. Army Corps of Engineers uniform. Raymond ascended the Yukon River in 1869 to Fort Yukon. He graduated at the head of his West Point class in 1865. In the summer of 1863, while still a student, Raymond got permission to join the army of General Couch at the battle of Gettysburg. Raymond retired as Brigadier General in 1904. Cabinet card portrait by G. W. Pach, New York City.
Cabinet card portrait of Abraham V. Zane, taken in San Francisco after the return of the 1884-1886 Stoney expedition to northwest Alaska. Zane is dressed in his arctic furs, which Stoney obtained for his men from Mike Lorenz, the Alaska Commercial Company agent in Saint Michael. The expedition party built "Fort Cosmos" on the Kobuk River for winter quarters. From Fort Cosmos Zane explored the Koyukuk River. The New York Times reported (Oct. 16, 1886) "During January and February...Zane, accompanied by George Socoloff, made a very successful and creditable sledging expedition to St. Michael's and return [to Fort Cosmos]. He sledged over 1,000 miles, part of which had never been crossed before, and made a thorough survey of the country. Mr. Zane is the first white man who has made or attempted the trip."
I have a few 1891 cabinet cards from the second Israel C. Russell expedition to Mount Saint Elias. One photograph shows the expedition members, with Israel C. Russell, on the beach after coming off the mountain. They are carrying rifles and long climbing poles. They are one tough looking bunch!
Original cabinet card of Charles Erskine Scott Wood, the first white man to explore Glacier Bay.  He is in uniform, in full beard, his kepi with the letters OSM on the insignia. Photo taken by Abell & Son of Portland, Oregon.
Original cabinet card of the USC&GS Steamer McArthur, taken by Ensign Albert Parker Niblack from the Patterson, surveying season of 1886. The McArthur spent many years doing the pioneer surveys of Alaska waters.
Original cabinet card of the Revenue Cutter Wolcott (I think) by Bradley & Rulofson of San Francisco. The card stock would indicate that this photograph was mounted between 1873 - 1883.
Original cabinet card of 5 year old Elbridge Suydam Bean, the boy whose mother was killed at Nulato in 1878. Printed on the back of the cabinet card:

"THE LITTLE ALASKA BOY,
What Killed His Mother,
And Why He is Afraid of Being Left.
ELBRIDGE SUYDAM BEAN is a bright little lad, less than five years of age, having been born Augustst 24th, 1875, and enjoys the distinction of being the only native Alaskan in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. His birth-place was Nulato, a small trading post on the Yukon River, away up in latitude 65° north, in Alaska Territory. The father, James Munroe Bean, was a fur-trader among the Russians and Indians, operating chiefly at Nulato, but making San Francisco his market for procuring supplies and selling his furs. The mother was Miss Jennie Suydam, of Ottawa, Ill. She was married to Mr. Bean at that place in 1873. She was an attractive, pleasant lady, and took with her to her far northwestern home the love, respect and good wishes of all who knew her. On the morning of Sept. 11th, 1878, Mrs. Bean was getting breakfast for her little family, and for two Indians who had slept in the house the night before, when she was ruthlessly shot from behind, the ball penetrating her generous heart, by one of the Indians, and instantly fell dead across the very table which she was setting forth with food for the entertainment of her assassin. The savages attempted to kill her husband and little Ellie, the subject of our sketch and photograph, and but for fear of returning trappers would have very likely succeeded. They had been freely indulging in “fire-water" and seemed bent on plunder, or the avenging of some fancied wrong. The statute of the United States - more prudent in regard to savages than it is in respect to mere white folks - prohibits, under the severest penalties, the manufacture among and the selling or giving to Indians of intoxicating liquors of any sort. The drink with which the brains of these barbarians were fired was probably a vile stuff called  “Hootchenoo," which is illicitly made by the soldiers; and whose distillation has been taught the Indians and trappers. It is compounded of rotten potatoes, or other vegetables, and flour, and distilled in kerosene cans. Doubtless no more murderous beverage was ever devised by the wit of man. From the description given of its effects by the U. S. Commissioners in a recent report on the condition of the troops in Alaska, “Hootchenoo," as an inspirer of murder, rape, theft, and other horrible crimes, is only excelled by the vile stuff which christian communities permit to be sold over bars by men "of good moral character," and take money from such men for the permission. Mr. Bean, with his boy, finally succeeded in escaping, and returned to San Francisco. After the horrible death of his mother little Ellie clung to his father with renewed tenacity, and could scarcely endure a moment's absence from him. But in December last Mr. Bean, having determined to go back to Alaska, and, if possible, punish his wife's murderers, and strive to regain his lost wealth, looked about for some means of sending the boy East, and was finally so fortunate to encounter Dr. Bradley, of Oakland, Cal., who was about to make the trip, and kindly consented to take Ellie with him. Mr. Bean accompanied them for some forty miles on the road, and then, knowing it would be next to impossible to get the lad to consent to the separation, quietly slipped from the train, and "left" Ellie to journey on with the Doctor. After his wonderment and grief over his missing father had subsided, the boy became reconciled to the situation, and greatly attached to the temporary guardian, by whom, on nearing Chicago, he had again, alas, to be “left," and committed to the loving charge of his grandmother, Mrs. E. J. Suydam, of Newark, Ill., with whom he now is. Ellie is an unusually bright child, affectionate to an extraordinary degree, and of pronounced nervous temperament. Besides English, he speaks Russian and the Indian dialect with equal fluency. It will take years to root from his memory the horror of the tragedy that bereft him of a dear mother, and there is a whole temperance lecture of wondrous pathos and eloquence in his quivering voice as he says, "Whisky and Indians killed my mamma.” He holds fast by his grandma, and is in constant fear of being "left." What wonder that he should be? Left in such a ghastly fashion by his mother, left by his father, and left by the good Doctor. Ah, well he will come to understand it some day, and perhaps see that through it all he has not been “left," but led by One who is more loving and constant than father or mother even. So we leave the little Alaskan, hoping that the simple tale of his short but troubled life may gain for him sympathy and help from all kindly people, and may effectually teach to all who read it the duty of fighting in every manly manner, and to the death, the enemy that brutally and cowardly murdered poor Ellie's mother - whiskey."

Little Ellie is photographed in his suit of Alaska furs, and the pictures are sold for
his benefit, at 20 and 30 cts. each.                                   W. E. BOWMAN, Photographer,
    January, 1880.                                                              Ottawa, Illinois.
Original cabinet card of George Clement Perkins. On a Bradley & Rulofson San Francisco mount. Perkins was president of the Arctic Oil Works (the largest whale-oil refinery on the west coast), and vice-president of the Pacific Steam Whaling company. He had extensive business interests in early Alaska. In 1852 he went to sea as a cabin boy on the ship Golden Eagle. He made six voyages to Europe on sailing ships. In 1885 he shipped before the mast on the ship Galatea, bound for San Francisco, California. He engaged in mining and teaming in California but without success, and opened a mercantile business in Oroville, Cal. Later he engaged in the banking, mining and milling industries. He became a member of a shipping firm in San Francisco, Goodall, Perkins & Company, which later became the builders and owners of the Pacific Coast Steamship company. He was the pioneer in the introduction of steam whalers for the Arctic ocean, and operated steamships on the coast of California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Mexico and Alaska. He was a representative in the state senate, 1869-76; governor of the state of California, 1879-83, and was a U.S. Senator for about 14 years.
Original cabinet card portrait of James Gilchrist Swan, author of "The Northwest Coast; or, Three Years' Residence in Washington Territory" and other works. He made 4 trips to Alaska. Signed on the back "with the compliments of the season and kind remembrance of your old friend James G. Swan Dec. 24 1885."
Original albumen photograph portrait (unmounted cabinet card photograph) of Lt. Robert M. Berry (Robert Mallory Berry), commander of the USS Rodgers, which was sent to search for the Jeannette Expedition. Berry was also in Sitka Alaska in December 1869 on the U.S.S. Cyane. He achieved the rank of Rear Admiral before his retirement. see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Rodgers_(1879)
Original cabinet card portrait of Captain John M. Cushing of Bath, Maine.  John M. Cushing was born on Lees Island, Phipsburg, February 26, 1851; came to Bath, when three years old, with his father, Samuel W. Cushing; graduated from the high school in the class of 1868; commenced a sea-faring life, in November of the same year, in the ship Ellen Goodspeed; subsequently went in other Bath and Brunswick ships; became captain in December, 1872, in command of the ship John O. Baker of Brunswick, when twenty-one years of age; in November, 1875, took charge of the ship Oregon; later was in the employ of the Red Star Line of steamers, plying between New York and Antwerp; was in the ship brokerage business at Puget Sound four years; came back and was in the employ of the American Line of steamers, running between Philadelphia and Liverpool; in August, 1886, was chief executive officer of the Vanderbilt steam yacht, Alva; in june, 1887, took charge of the steam yacht, Susquehanna, owned by Mr. Joseph Stickney, and is now in command and part owner of a ship. He married Emma Smith, of Bangor, December 31, 1872, and has two boys and a girl. She died in February, 1884.
Original 1888 cabinet card titled "Lieut. Schwatka’s St. Elias Expedition" by Ed deGroff of Sitka. This is his cabinet card #250 of the Schwatka New York Times expedition to climb Mt. St. Elias. The six men are leaning against a railing on the dock at Sitka, with part of the Indian village in the background. Pictured from left to right is the young Native man named "Fred" Kersunk (I presume), Heywood Seton-Karr, Professor William Libby holding what looks like a pair of cased binoculars, Joseph Woods, Jack Dalton, and Frederick Schwatka on the right.  An important Alaska photograph!
Original circa 1895-1900 cabinet card of Lloyd Winter himself dressed is a seal jacket and cap. On a Winter & Pond mount.
Original circa 1875 to early 1880's cabinet card of Reverend Thomas Crosby, a missionary at Port Simpson (Lax Kw'alaams) on the Lower Nass River from 1874 to 1897. The cabinet card shows him wearing a Tsimshian "Chilkat" robe, pulled tightly around him (the robe is now in the Canadian Museum of History collection), and he is holding a rattle, wearing knee-high footwear with puffin beaks, and is wearing a frontlet. The photograph is on a Montreal mount.
Original cabinet card from the mid 1880's, taken by "M. Lorenz" (Mike Lorenz or Moise Lorenz or Moses Lorenz) of a large group of people on the deck of a steamship posing for the photographer. Some of the people look familiar, and one appears to be Arthur Harper, another may be Joe Ladue. Perhaps this is the last steamer leaving St. Michael before the winter. Written on the photograph is "Group on steamer coming from Alaska."  Lorenz was an agent for the Alaska Commercial Company at St. Michael. He died in December 1886, so this photo was taken before then.
Original Cabinet Card of Arctic Explorer William F. C. Nindemann. Wilhelm Friedrich Carl Nindemann (born in Gingst, island of Rügen, Germany, 22 April 1850; died 6 May 1913 Hollis, New York) was an explorer on arctic expeditions, including the steamer Polaris (1871-1873).  On 15 October 1872, the Polaris being fast in the ice and leaking badly, the crew was ordered to land provisions, and while thus engaged the floe broke, and Nindemann with eighteen others drifted southward for 196 days without seeing the ship again. This part of the crew were rescued by the steamship USS Tigress on 29 April 1873. After returning to Washington, Nindemann volunteered on the Tigress in her search for the Polaris, and remained with this vessel until October 1873, when he joined the crew of the steamer USS Jeannette to reach the North Pole. After the Jeannette sank in the ice and the party made it to the Lena Delta on the northern coast of Siberia, on 9 October 1881, Captain DeLong sent the two strongest members, Nindemann and Louis P. Noros to find aid for the starving crew. Taking a southern course, they wandered until 21 October when they were met by a native, who took them to Kumak Surka, where they sent a message through a Russian exile to George W. Melville, who afterward joined them at Bulun. Subsequently Melville, James H. Bartlett, and Nindemann explored the delta for traces of DeLong's party, and on 15 March 1882, they found the bodies of DeLong and his companions. In 1890, Nindemann was awarded a Congressional Silver Medal for his feats of heroism and endurance during the Jeannette expedition. The above info was sourced from Wiki.

Cabinet card photo of a formally dressed man identified on the back as, “Christian Balgen.” The photo was taken by Eggen Bros. in Seattle, Washington. Christian Balgen was a miner for many years in Alaska and also served as a Justice in Ophir, Alaska.


for info please email me at dick@AlaskaWanted.com

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