Every year, generous individuals donate important and beautiful objects to the Ethnology & History collection at UAMN. They do this for a variety of reasons: to contribute to the rich resources of the Museum; to give back to the people of Alaska; to enhance the educational opportunities of students and researchers; to fulfill a wish of a family member; and even to get a good tax deduction. Whatever their reason, 99-percent of our collections come to us as donations and we are ever so thankful for the generosity of those individuals.
Because we can only exhibit a small portion of our collections each year, we typically put out the new acquisitions at our Open House, which used to take place in December. Open House now occurs in the spring, several months into the new year and the immediacy of the exhibition of the materials from the previous year is somehow lessened. As a way of reaching another audience, I will present the donations of 2011 over the next few days.
Donor: Candy Waugaman
Doll paddling sealskin kayak.
This doll is made from sealskin, is wearing a gut parka, and is paddling a Bering Sea style kayak, also made from seal skin. It was purchased in Arizona in 2011, was probably made in the Chevak region, and was made sometime in the last twenty years. It measures 25 x 65 x 18 cm.
Chair used by President Harding.
This small wooden chair was purported to be used by President Warren G. Harding on July 15, 1923. This was, of course, the day Harding drove the golden spike in Nenana, signifying the completion of the Alaska Railroad. Where this chair was sat upon, is the mystery… possible locations might include the rail car that transported him and his entourage to Nenana; the Nordale Hotel, which is where the party stayed in Fairbanks; or perhaps some restaurant where they ate somewhere in between? I’d love to hear from anyone up on Harding history.
Candy also donated a lovely Aleut wall pocket sewn from sea mammal intestine, and these ivory carvings, which include a walrus tusk reputedly created by Happy Jack, a group of chess pieces, and a set of igloo salt and pepper shakers.
- Wall pocket made from sea mammal gut.
"Happy Jack" tusk.
Igloo salt and pepper shakers.
Ivory chess pieces.
AkEthnoGirl 