Guide to the Judith and Malcolm McDonald papers
1960-1997
Collection number: HMC-0619.
Creators:
McDonald, Judith.
McDonald, Malcolm.
Title: Judith and Malcolm McDonald papers.
Dates: 1960-1997.
Volume of collection: 1.7 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Materials in this collection are in English.
Collection summary: Papers of a couple who taught in Anchorage schools during the 1960s.
Biographical note:
Judith MacPherson came to Anchorage from Taneytown, Maryland, in 1960, to teach fourth grade at North Star Elementary School. In 1961, she transferred to Willowcrest Elementary School, where she taught until 1966. Malcolm W. McDonald came to Anchorage in 1962, where he taught social studies and special education classes at Central, Romig Junior High, and Ora D. Clark schools. Judith married Malcolm McDonald in 1963. From 1963 to 1966, the couple taught in Anchorage during the school years and operated a resort near Bemidji, Minnesota, during the summers. The McDonalds left Alaska to live in Minnesota, in 1966, where they settled in the town of Austin. In 1997, the McDonalds returned to Alaska for a visit.
Collection description:
The collection consists of Judith and Malcolm McDonald’s papers relating to their time in Alaska. The collection is divided into four series: papers, photographs and slides, motion picture film, and artifacts and artwork. The papers contain items from Judith’s initial trip to Anchorage in 1960, her marriage to Malcolm McDonald in 1963, the Alaska Earthquake of 1964, and the geology and wildlife of Alaska. Subjects of the photographs and slides include: personal portraits; trips to Alaska; teachers and students in Anchorage schools where Judith McDonald taught; Chelatna Lake Lodge; the Anchorage Fur Rendezvous; the Alaska State Fair in Palmer; the Alaska Railroad; the couple’s trip to Alaska in 1997; and Alaska commercial travel slide series photographed by Emil Meunch depicting: the Inside Passage and the panhandle, Mount McKinley National Park, and Nome and the arctic. Subjects of the motion picture film include downtown Anchorage, Merrill Field, Chelatna Lake Lodge, Spenard, a trip on the Seward Highway to Girdwood and Portage, a trip on the Alaska Railroad from Anchorage to Fairbanks and return, and the Anchorage International Airport. The artifacts include: an Alaska Native straw basket, a pair of seal and otter skin booties, three bone fishing weights, and a yo-yo. The artwork consists of three different Alaska Native color drawings by John Everitt and Giersdorf.
Arrangement: The collection is arranged into the following series:
Series 1: Papers; 1960-1966, 1988
Series 2: Photographs and slides; 1960-1997
Series 3: Audiovisual materials; 1962
Series 4: Artifacts and artwork; undated
Alternative formats: The original 8 mm color film reels have been copied onto a MiniDV master tape and a VHS cassette tape.
Digitized copies: Selected photographs from this collection have been digitized and can be found on Alaska’s Digital Archives. For information about obtaining copies please contact Archives and Special Collections.
Rights note: Archives and Special Collections owns copyright to materials created by Judith and Malcolm McDonald. Materials not created by Judith and Malcolm McDonald may be subject to copyright not owned by Archives and Special Collections.
Preferred citation: Judith and Malcolm McDonald papers, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.
Separated materials: Selected publications were removed from the collection and added to Rare Books. Please ask an archivist for further information.
Acquisition note: The archives received the collection from Judith McDonald in 2003. A deed of gift was signed in 2003. Additional materials were added in 2005.
Processing information: This collection was described by Jeffrey Sinnott in 2004. The guide to the collection was converted to current standard by Gwen Sieja in 2015.
Container list:
Series 1: Personal papers; 1960-1966, 1988. 0.2 cubic feet.
| Box/Folder | Description | Date |
| 1/1 | Judith MacPherson’s trip to Anchorage | 1960 |
| 2/1 | Trip to Anchorage scrapbook | 1960 |
| 1/2 | Judith and Malcolm McDonald marriage | 1962-1963 |
| 1/3 | Alaska Earthquake materials | 1964 |
| 1/4 | Alaska geology and wildlife | undated, 1964 |
Series 2: Photographs and Slides; 1960-1997. 0.4 cubic feet.
| Box/Folder | Description | Date |
| 1/5 | Portraits (5 black and white prints, 4 color prints, 1 color slide) | undated, 1961-1966 |
| 1/6 | Trips to Anchorage via Alaska Highway (115 numbered color slides; 1 color print, 5 X 7 inch). Locations identified include: Dawson Creek, Peace River Bridge, Contact Creek, Watson Lake, Haines, Alaska-Yukon boarder, and Whitehorse. | undated, 1960-1963 |
| 1/7 | Teaching (18 black and white prints; 1 color print, 3 color slides). Includes narrative. | undated, 1960, 1961 |
| 1/8 | Chelatna Lake Lodge, owned by Graham Mower (35 color slides; 7 color prints, 3.5 X 3.5 inch; 2 black and white prints, 2.5 X 3.5 inch; 1 color photo greeting card, 3.5 X 7 inch). Includes narrative. | undated, 1961-1962 |
| 1/9 | Hawver Building fire, Anchorage (8 color slides) | circa 1964 |
| 1/10 | Saskatchewan: coal strip mine and scenery (11 color slides) | 1966 |
| 1/11 | Carl Clemson family cabin, Cooper Landing (9 color slides) | 1966 |
| 1/12 | Hope, Turnagain Arm, and Portage Glacier (15 color slides) | 1962 |
| 1/13 | Kenai: Church, school building, and scenery (6 color slides) | 1962 |
| 1/14 | Seward Highway (18 color slides; 3 color prints) | undated, 1962 |
| 1/15 | Alaska wildflowers (11 color slides) | undated, 1962 |
| 1/16 | Independence Mine area: skiing and scenery (20 slides) | undated, 1962 |
| 1/17 | Anchorage Fur Rendezvous: parade, sled-dog race, and blanket toss (14 slides). Includes caption list. | circa 1961-1962 |
| 1/18 | Alaska State Fair at Palmer (19 slides). Includes narrative and three slides of John F. Kennedy at the fair. | 1960 September |
| 1/19 | Ferry trip: Seward and scenery (17 slides) | circa 1966 |
| 1/20 | Armed Forces Day (11 slides) | 1966 |
| 1/21 | Alyeska Ski Resort (6 slides; 2 color prints, 3.5 X 3.5 inch) | undated |
| 1/22 | Flight to Mount McKinley from Talkeetna (20 slides) | 1961 |
| 1/23 | Dawson City (4 color slides; 3 color prints, 3.5 X 3.5 inch) | undated |
| 1/24 | Kodiak (10 slides) | undated |
| 1/25 | Alaska Railroad trip: scenery (23 slides) | 1962 |
| 1/26 | Alaska Earthquake in Anchorage (69 slides) | 1964 |
| 1/27 | Anchorage before earthquake: scenery, buildings, streets (100 slides) | 1960-1963 |
| 1/28 | Clemsons: family photos (7 color prints; 2 color negatives, 35mm). Includes Christmas letter from Ruth Clemson, Christmas 1996 (4 pp). | undated, 1987, 1996 |
| 1/29 | Trip to Alaska: Dawson Creek to Watson Lake (34 color prints, 4 X 6 inch) | 1997 |
| 1/30 | Trip to Alaska: Yukon north to Alaska (21 color prints, 4 X 6 inch) | 1997 |
| 1/31 | Trip to Alaska: around Anchorage (32 color prints, 4 X 6 inch) | 1997 |
| 1/32 | Trip to Alaska: Seward Highway, Portage, and the Clemsons’ cabin at Cooper Landing (30 color prints, 4 X 6 inch) | 1997 |
| 1/33 | Alaska – The Inside Passage and the Panhandle; Photographs by Emil Muench; Published by Blackhawk Films, Davenport, Iowa; No. 244. (30 slides) | circa 1962 |
| 1/34 | Mt. McKinley National Park; Photographs by Emil Muench; Published by Blackhawk Films, Davenport, Iowa; No. 350-305. (29 slides) | circa 1962 |
| 1/35 | Alaska – Nome and the Arctic; Photographs by Emil Muench; Published by Blackhawk Films, Davenport Iowa; No. 350-306. (20 slides) | circa 1962 |
Series 3: Audiovisual materials; 1962. 0.1 cubic feet.
| Box/Item | Description | Date |
| 1/36 | Master copy of film reels 1 and 2 (1 MiniDV cassette) | 1962 |
| 1/37 | Reference copy of film reels 1 and 2 (1VHS cassette) | 1962 |
| 2/2 | Film reel 1: Downtown Anchorage with All-American City sign; Merrill Field: aircraft, hangar, takeoff and landings; Chelatna Lake Lodge: scenery, lodge and cabins, aircraft, boats, fishing, and flight back to Anchorage. (1 reel 8 mm color film) | 1962 |
| 2/3 | Film reel 2: Views from Spenard neighborhood (planes, sunset); Graham Mower and Judith MacPherson; car trip on Seward Highway from Anchorage to Girdwood and Portage (Cook Inlet, fishing, Portage Glacier and lake, Mt. Alyeska sign, and Alaska Railroad station); Alaska Railroad trip from Anchorage to Fairbanks and return (scenery, Montana Creek sign, Nenana River, Chulitna sign, Nenana River, Chulitna sign, dairy cattle, Talkeetna grocery store, McKinley Park Station, fish wheel, and Federal Aviation Agency sign at Summit); Anchorage International Airport (terminal, control tower, aircraft); aerial views from plane. | 1962 |
Series 4: Artifacts and artwork; undated. 1.0 cubic feet.
| Box/Item | Description | Date |
| 2/4 | Alaska Native straw basket with lid (7 inches diameter; 7.5 inches tall; green, rust, red, and blue accents; exterior color faded) | undated |
| 2/5 | Pair of seal and otter skin fur booties with leather straps (6 inches long) | undated |
| 2/6-8 | Bone fishing weights with wire fasteners (4.5, 5.5 and 9 inches long) | undated |
| 2/9 | Alaska Native yo-yo | undated |
| O/S folder | Alaska Native man in fur parka with fish spear handing second man in parka a string of fish; by John Everitt (ink and watercolor on paper, 12 X 18 inches) | undated |
| O/S folder | Portrait of Alaska Native man in fur parka; by Giersdorf (pastel drawing on paper, 13 X 17 inches) | undated |
| O/S folder | Winter scene of mountain and spruce trees; by Giersdorf (pastel on paper, 14 X 20 inches) | undated |