Guide to the Ole Christian Nerby photographs
1915-1918
Collection number: HMC-1086.
Creator: Nerby, Ole Christian.
Title: Ole Christian Nerby photographs.
Dates: 1915-1918
Volume of collection: 0.02 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Collection materials are in English.
Collection summary: Photographs taken by soldier stationed at Fort Davis, Nome, during World War I.
Biographical note:
Ole Christian Nerby was born July 14, 1888 in Christiana, Norway. During World War I, Nerby was stationed at Fort Davis, Nome. He married his wife, Julia, in 1924. Julia Nerby’s sister married Chris Dahl. At a later date, Chris Nerby and Chris Dahl moved their families to Bethel, Alaska.
Collection description:
The collection consists of photographs taken and collected by Ole Christian Nerby. A majority of the photographs were taken between the years of 1917-1918 and depict army life at Fort Davis. These photographs include images of Christian Nerby and his fellow soldiers cooking in a kitchen, hauling ice on horse drawn sleds, ice fishing, marching in a parade in Nome, and playing with baby polar bears. In addition, there are group photographs and portraits of the soldiers. Only one soldier, other than Christian Nerby, is identified: Chris Dahl, Nerby’s brother-in-law. The collection also contains Loman Brothers photographs of Nome and Fort Davis, photographs of gravesite, and two postcards with faded writing on the back. The first one was sent August 9th, 1915 to Christian Nerby from Martin Towerson of Valley City, North Dakota. The second postcard was addressed to Mr. Ferguson and the photograph was taken by Cal Calvert’s studio in Portland, Oregon.
Arrangement: Photographs are arranged according to the order they were in photograph album.
Digitized copies: Digital copies of the images in this collection are viewable on the Alaska’s Digital Archives site. For information about obtaining high resolution digital copies or using these images in any way, please contact Archives and Special Collections.
Rights note: The Archives does not own copyright to unpublished photographs in this collection. Published photographs in this collection are in the public domain.
Preferred citation: Ole Christian Nerby, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.
Works used in preparation of inventory:
“WWI Civilian Draft Registrations,” Ancestry.com. http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?ti=0&indiv=try&db=draft&h=45273
Custodial history: The photographs were originally housed in a scrapbook. While living in Bethel, John Wiese’s mother received the scrapbook from a man she dated who lived at Fort Davis. John Wiese inherited the photographs from his mother.
Acquisition note: The collection was presented and deed of gift signed by John Wiese in 2011.
Processing information: This collection was described by Mariecris Gatlabayan in 2011. Photographs arrived in magnetic album. Digital images of album were created before removing photographs from album and placing them in archival safe enclosures.