Guide to the Barth Dolezal photograph album
1943-1944
Collection number: HMC-0940.
Creator: Dolezal, Barth.
Title: Barth Dolezal photograph album.
Dates: 1943-1944.
Volume of collection: 0.25 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Materials in the collection are in English.
Collection summary: Album of employee of the engineering section of the Northwest Division of the U.S.E.D. in Edmonton, Alberta, during World War II.
Biographical note:
Barth Dolezal was from Nebraska. From 1943 to 1944, he was employed by the engineering section of the Northwest Division, U.S. Army Engineering District, Corps of Engineers (U.S.E.D.), in Edmonton, Alberta. Edmonton was the headquarters for the Northwest Service Command, which included the Northwest Division of the U.S.E.D. The Northwest Service Command, commanded by Brigadier General James A. O’Connor, was responsible for all operations in supplying American forces in Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon Territory and the Northwest Territories during World War II. Barth Dolezal died in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1988.
Collection description:
The collection consists of the photograph album of Northwest Service Command employee Barth Dolezal. The collection contains 92 original black and white prints. Subjects of the photographs include: Headquarters of the Northwest Service Command and Northwest Division, U.S. Army Engineering District, Corps of Engineers facilities in Edmonton, Alberta (ice rink, mess hall, barracks, housing units), including images of its construction; the city of Edmonton (administration and parliament buildings, Jesuit College, ski hill and ski jump, River View Park, baseball park, skyline, and Saskatchewan River); the Engineering Section of the U.S. Army Engineering District (office, officers, soldiers and civilian staff); and the Alaska Highway (Peace River Bridge, Kluane Lake, Greyhound buses, cabins, farms, roadway and scenery).
Arrangement: The collection is arranged in original order.
Digitized copies: This collection has not been digitized. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact Archives and Special Collections.
Rights note: Archives does not hold copyright to materials in this collection.
Preferred citation: Barth Dolezal photograph album, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.
Acquisition note: The collection was purchased via Internet auction in 2007.
Processing information: This collection was described by Jeffrey Sinnott in 2007. The guide to the collection was converted to current standard by Veronica Denison in 2015.
Container list:
| Page | Description |
| 1 | Title page |
| 2 | “Jesuit College and Campus, City of Edmonton in the Background, 1943-44” Aerial view |
| 3 | “‘Home’ to all Division employees in Edmonton, Unit accommodates thirty-two” Housing complex |
| 4 | “Ice rink built at Edmonton for northwest division personnel, used all winter by young and old alike. Some folks from Dixie had never skated” Elevated view of rink and warming house with crowd of spectators viewing game of broom ball hockey |
| 5 | “Division Mess Hall, feeding over five hundred three times a day” Interior view of tables |
| 6 | “Living-room in one of the Units, decorated with employee-bought drapes. Eight people share living-room, with bed-room and bath for each couple” |
| 7 | “In contrast is U.S.E.D. barracks at one of camps farther north” Winter view of barracks building exterior |
| 8 | “Peace River Bridge” View from near end of bridge |
| 9 | “Winter view of the ‘Road’ in Yukon” Highway scene with automobile |
| 10 | “An Indian ‘hitches’ his team at the Prophet River Trading Post in British Columbia, and goes in for a sack of tobacco.” Man and small dog team outside store in log cabin |
| 11 | “The winter sun sets on Mount Nisutlin and touches the ‘Road’ in the foreground. The sun at this time of year is very low, rises and sets in the south” Highway scene |
| 12 | “The Greyhound, a familiar sight on the highways at home, is a novelty to the Indians of the Northwoods. Runs from Dawson Creek to Fairbanks” Winter scene of Greyhound bus on highway |
| 13 | “Snow and more snow in the Yukon, land of fabulous riches in the historic Gold Rush of 1898. A land of beautiful spruce and distant mountains” |
| 14 | “Two wild moose calves beg for hand-outs at one of the line-camps; will eat cookies from the hand, chase terror-stricken dogs all over camp” |
| 15 | “One of the most scenic spots on the ‘Road’ is beautiful Kluane Lake, Y.T. Kluane (Klu-onnie) in the summer is the woodsman’s dream of home.” Winter highway scene with log cabin at base of hillside |
| 16 | “A camp far up in the Yukon, piled deep in its winter blanket of soft snow, makes a pleasant picture. Deep snow is common to this section” Wood pile next to camp building |
| 17 | “The first native you meet in the Northwoods is old bruin, with his love of wild honey and huckleberries. Some became tame and hung around camps” Close-up of black bear |
| 18 | “A summer view of the ‘Road’ winding along base of Alaska Range at Tanacross Indian Village. Snow leaves peaks in July, comes in September. Highway scene with mountains muddy ruts in road surface |
| 19 | “Main street of Fairbanks. Where the sourdough and the new U.S.E.D. ‘cheechako’ meet and compare yesterday with tomorrow.” Winter street scene near Brick’s Men’s Shop with federal building in center |
| 20 | “Reminding one of a story from Mark Twain, this old paddle-wheeler goes up the great MacKenzie River to Aklavik and the Arctic Ocean.” Rear starboard view of the paddlewheel steamer Distribution from Winnipeg |
| 21 | Dog team, sled and driver run on road next to tent camp with fuel tank at left in background |
| 22 | “Fishing for five-pound rainbow trout in Canada’s famed Jasper Park. Here Canadian Rockies are at their best and are really breath-taking.” Fisherman landing fish next to shore of river |
| 23a-b | “The Monroe Four, ’44” Two figure skating pairs perform together at ice rink in Edmonton |
| 24 | Title page: “Construction Scenes: HDQTS: N.W. Service-Command & N.W. Division” |
| 25a | “Cowin Huts were for warehouses & garages” |
| 25b | “‘Room #17’ Famous for its room parties.” Three men in room with bunk |
| 26a-b | “Construction of USED Campus – Photos taken Jan. 1943, temp. ranged from -10º to -65º” View of housing complex under construction in Edmonton |
| 27a | “16-32 Men Barracks being constructed looking S.W. from Adm. bldg.” Elevated view |
| 27b | “Finished. Looking N.W. from Adm. bldg., Winter of 1943” Elevated view (3.5 X 5.75 inch). |
| 28a | “Mess Hall” |
| 28b | “Completion of Unit #3” |
| 28c | “Looking N.W. Across party completed Units” |
| 28d | “North Portion of Mess Hall at Left…North Area of Campus in Background…” |
| 28e | “Unit No. 8” |
| 28f | “Front Entrance, Jesuit College” |
| 29a | “Can without the Teen” Toilet, sink and shower area |
| 29b | “Shower Room” |
| 29c | “Living Room” |
| 29d | “Adm. bldg.” Front of building |
| 29e-f | “Bed-Room” Two twin beds and two dressers in room |
| 30a-b | “The Office’s Mascot, ‘Hosey'” Cat on top of desk |
| 31 | Title page: “City of Edmonton” |
| 32a | “Administration bldg.” |
| 32b | “Parliament bldg.” |
| 33a | “Skyline” View over river with Parliament Building at left |
| 33b | “Looking Upstream on the Saskatchewan River towards the High Level Bridge” |
| 33c | “River View Park, February 1943” |
| 34a-c | “Winter Along the Saskatchewan Valley, Feb. 1943” River scenes |
| 35a-c | “Skiing – the Sport of all Sports, February 1943” |
| 35a | Man in parka on ski hill |
| 35b-c | Ski hill and ski jump views |
| 36a-b | “Sunday Afternoon at the ball park, August 1943” |
| 36a | Soldiers drilling on baseball field |
| 36b | Baseball game scene |
| 37 | Title page: “People have more fun than anyone” |
| 38a | “‘Brave Man’ on Vox Pop Broadcast, July 1943.” Man with white powder on his face |
| 38b | “George N., Herb S. Communing with Nature” Two men sitting on hillside |
| 38c | “The Pin-Up Boys…” Two men in their living room |
| 39a | “The Three Thinkers” Three men sitting |
| 39b | “‘Sonya Henie'” Man skating on ice rink |
| 39c | “‘Two in One'” Two men linking arms in living room |
| 39d | “‘Poker Face'” Man sitting on grass |
| 40 | “Engineering Section & Staff” |
| 41 | Major C. R. Lovitt at his desk |
| 42 | Major Lovitt at his desk examining blue prints of Fort Nelson, B.C. Air Base with two other officers |
| 43 | Group portrait of military and civilian staff of the Engineering Section |
| 44 | People at working in the Engineering Section office |
| 45 | Title page: “Scenes Along the Alaska Highway” |
| 46a-b | Highway scenes along Kluane Lake |
| 46c | Waterfall |
| 47a | Mileage sign for distance to cities near camp |
| 47b | Camp view from hillside |
| 47c | Log footbridge over Yukon River in Miles Canyon near Whitehorse |
| 48a | Old log cabin with sod roof |
| 48b | Farm buildings and wind pump at seen from road through fence |
| 48c | Officer talks with farmer near log cabin |
| 49a | Highway scene with mountains in background |
| 49b | Lake and mountain scene |
| 49c | Highway scene looking down road towards the mountains |
| 49d | Mountain scene |
| 50a | Log footbridge over Yukon River in Miles Canyon near Whitehorse |
| 50b | Two men sitting in front of small log cabin and cache |
| 50c | Men hooking vehicle to Greyhound bus to pull it from edge of roadway |
| 50d | Man sitting in river scow sitting next to two log cabins |
| 51a | Peace River Bridge in low water |
| 51b | Man posing with wood burl woman |
| 51c | Detailed view of cable attachments at end of Peace River Bridge |
| 51d | Two men holding up “Alaska Canada Boundary” sign next to their vehicle |
| 51e | View of Peace River Bridge from near riverbed |
| 51f | Three men sitting in front of mileage sign for Valdez, Fairbanks, Donnelly and Beale Cache” |
| 52a | Man sleeping in bed in bedroom |
| 52b | Man in suit and cap sitting on hillside and painting scene |