Guide to the George K. “Steve” Brodie papers
1934-1941
Collection number: HMC-0378.
Creator: Brodie, George K.
Title: George K. “Steve” Brodie papers.
Dates: 1934-1941.
Volume of collection: 0.25 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Collection materials are in English.
Collection summary: Papers and photographs of an officer in the U. S. Navy in Kodiak in 1938 and was in Samoa in 1941.
Biographical note:
George “Steve” Brodie was born in Indiana in 1907. His family moved to Indiana where he received his early education. He was admitted to the United States Naval Academy in 1926 from Kentucky. He graduated from that institution with a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1930. Brodie married Mary E. Dohany in Annapolis in 1930. From 1930 to 1934, he served at sea on a carrier and, later, on a destroyer . He then attended graduate school where he studied electrical and civil engineering. In 1938, he was involved in a naval survey and construction project on Kodiak Island. Thereafter, Brodie served at a number of posts including Samoa, Bremerton (Washington), Pearl Harbor, and the Panama Canal Zone. He retired from the U.S. Navy in 1957 with the rank of Captain.
Collection description:
This collection contains papers relating to “Steve” Brodie’s service on Kodiak Island and other aspects of his naval career. Included are correspondence, photographic prints, and negatives. Most of the correspondence consists of letters to his in which he describes his activities on Kodiak in 1938. About half of the 66 photographs relate generally to Alaska while the remainder are of warships involved in the naval maneuvers in the Pacific in 1934. The negatives include construction scenes in Alaska in 1938 and naval vessels during the maneuvers in 1934. Also, there are copy prints and negatives.
Arrangement: The collection is divided into three series: correspondence, photographs, and negatives.
Digitized copies: A panoramic photograph of Fort Greely on Kodiak Island has been digitized and is available on Alaska’s Digital Archives. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact Archives and Special Collections.
Rights note: The Archives does not own copyright to this collection.
Preferred citation: George K. “Steve” Brodie papers, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.
Related materials: For Archives and Special Collections materials related to World War II, please refer to our Research Guide to World War II in Alaska collections.
Acquisition note: The collection was purchased at internet auction in 2002.
Processing information: This collection was described by Dennis Walle in 1995. The collection description was revised by Mariecris Gatlabayan in 2011.
Container list:
Series 1: Correspondence; 1938-1941. 0.1 cubic feet. This series consists primarily of letters written by Lt. George “Steve” Brodie to his wife in Washington. In them, he describes his work and problems while he was involved in a naval construction project on Kodiak. Other letters were sent to him or his wife in Samoa.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 1/1 | H.G. Clark (Annapolis, MD) to Lt. G.K. Brodie (Bremerton, WA). | 1938 March 14 |
| 1/1 | Steve (U.S.S. Partridge) to Mrs. G.K. Brodie (Brementon, WA). | 1938 March |
| 1/1 | Steve (Kodiak, AK) to Mrs. G.K. Brodie (Brementon, WA). 2 letters. | 1938 March |
| 1/2 | Steve (Kodiak, AK) to Mrs. G.K. Brodie (Brementon, WA). 5 letters. | 1938 April |
| 1/3 | Steve (Kodiak, AK) to Mrs. G.K. Brodie (Brementon, WA). 7 letters. Includes Kodiak Survey Party, Executive Order Number Four from 1938 May 12 and letter from Ells to Byrd from 1938 May 17. | 1938 May |
| 1/4 | Steve (Kodiak, AK) to Mrs. G.K. Brodie (Brementon, WA). Includes letter from Mother to Steve (undated); G.K. Broadie (Bremerton, WA) to Eastman Kodak Company (Rochester, NY) from 1938 June 5; two letters between Captain R. Whitman and Captain E.R. Gaylor from 1938 June 10. | 1938 May-June |
| 1/5 | Steve (Kodiak, AK) to Mrs. G.K. Brodie (Brementon, WA) | 1938 June-July |
| 1/6 | Gabby (Hong Kong) to Lt. and Mrs. G. Brodie (Tutuila, Samoa). Postcard. | undated |
| 1/6 | L.B. Combs (Washington D.C.) to Lt. Comdr. G.K. Brodie (Tutuila, Samoa). | 1941 March 3 |
| 1/6 | “Whitey” Richards (Honolulu, Hawaii) to Lt. G.K. Brodie (Tutuila, Samoa). | 1941 April 7 |
Series 2: Photographs; 1934-1941. 0.1 cubic feet. This series consists of 66 photographic prints collected by G.K. Brodie. They are generally arranged into four groups: Alaska; houses and house interiors; recreation; and U.S. Navy ships, planes and personnel. Photographs are a variety of sizes: 8 x 10 inch, 2.75 inch square, 3.5
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 1/7 | Alaska: Russian Orthodox cemetery service, undated. | undated |
| 1/7 | Alaska: Fort Greely military base, Kodiak. 6- 2.75 inch square photographs taped together. | 1941 April 16 |
| 1/7 | Alaska: Fishing boats unloading at docks. 2 photographs. | undated |
| 1/7 | Alaska: U.S.C.G. Bear. 2 photographs. | undated |
| 1/7 | Alaska : Hunter with bear. 1 photograph. | undated |
| 1/7 | Alaska: Alaskan scenes. 15 photographs. | circa 1938 |
| 1/8 | Houses: one unidentified house and one street scene in Colon, Panama. 2 photographs. | undated, 1934 |
| 1/8 | Home interiors. 8 photographs. | undated |
| 1/9 | Recreation: Beach scenes. 4 postcards. | mid-1930s |
| 1/9 | Recreation: Posed photo. 1 postcard. | mid-1930s |
| 1/10 | U.S. Navy carrier, USS Saratoga. 4 photographs. | 1934 |
| 1/10 | U.S. Navy planes. 3 photographs. | 1934 |
| 1/10 | U.S. Navy light and heavy cruisers. 7 photographs. | 1934 |
| 1/10 | U.S. Navy destroyers. 2 photographs. | 1934 |
| 1/10 | U.S. Navy battleships. 4 photographs. | 1934 |
| 1/10 | U.S. Navy officers and women on launch. 1 photograph. | undated |
| 1/10 | U.S. Navy officers. 2 photographs. | undated |
| 1/11 | Copy negatives and contact prints of Alaska, house, and house interior photographs. | 1934, 1941, undated. |
Series 3: Negatives: 1934-1938, undated. 0.05 cubic feet. This series contains 76 photographic negatives taken or collected by G.K. Brodie. Subjects of the negatives include Alaska, U.S. Navy ships and planes, Panama, and the Panama Canal.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 1/12 | Alaska: Contruction scenes. 10 negatives. | circa 1938 |
| 1/12 | Alaska: Birds. 4 negatives. | circa 1938 |
| 1/12 | Alaska: Miscellaneous. 2 negatives. | Undated |
| 1/12 | U.S. Navy carriers, planes, battleships, cruisers, destroyers, and various warships. 40 negatives. | 1934 |
| 1/12 | Panama street scences and Panama Canal. 9 negatives. | circa 1934 |
| 1/12 | Miscellaneous ships. 2 negatives. | undated |
| 1/13 | Contact prints of photographs of negatives. | 1934-1938, undated |