Guide to the Zenas Richards photograph album
1941-1945
Collection number: HMC-0548.
Creator: Richards, Zenas.
Title: Zenas Richards photograph album.
Dates: 1941-1945.
Volume of collection: 0.2 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Collection materials in English.
Collection summary: Photographs from a U.S. Army soldier stationed near Fairbanks during World War II.
Biographical note:
Zenas Richards lived on Pancake Hollow Road in Highland, New York. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, and was stationed near Fairbanks, Alaska from 1943 to 1944.
Collection description:
The collection consists of photographs taken from the World War II photograph album of U.S. Army serviceman Zenas Richards. The collection contains 135 original black and white prints. The photographs include 64 pictures taken by Richards in Alaska, and 71 pictures taken by family members and his girlfriend. Subjects of the photographs include: Fairbanks; the U.S.O. building in Fairbanks; a camp at Birch Lake; the Circle Springs Trading Company building at Circle Hot Springs; a gold dredge at Fox; McKinley National Park, the McKinley Park Hotel, and McKinley Park Station; the Richards family; and Richards’ girlfriend Lucile “Gracie” Hughes, her family, and friends.
Arrangement: The collection is arranged in the following order: copy of the album, photographs sorted by location or subject, and the copy negatives.
Alternative formats: The collection includes 28 4×5 inch black and white copy negatives of selected prints in the collection as well as a xerographic copy of the the original photograph album.
Digitized copies: Selected images from the collection have been digitized and placed online in the Alaska’s Digital Archives. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact Archives and Special Collections.
Rights note: Copyright to the materials in this collection is not held by Archives and Special Collections.
Preferred citation: Zenas Richards photograph album, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.
Acquisition note: This collection was purchased at internet auction by the Archives in 2001.
Processing information: This collection was arranged and described by Jeffrey Sinnott in 2001. The images were removed from the album and placed in photograph enclosures and arranged by location or subject at this time.
Container list:
| Box/Folder | Item | Description or caption |
| 1/1 | 1 | Xerographic copy of original album. |
| 1/2 | Fairbanks; 1943-1944 (23 black and white prints). | |
| 1/2 | 1 | “Main street of Fairbanks, May 2-43.” |
| 1/2 | 2 | “U.S.O. Fairbanks, May 2-43.” Soldier sitting in front of entrance. |
| 1/2 | 3 | “Lacey St. Theater, Fairbanks, Alaska, May 2-43.” Building façade and sign. |
| 1/2 | 4 | “One of three side streets of Fairbanks, May 2-43.” View from bridge across Chena River. |
| 1/2 | 5 | “A Girl of Fairbanks (A stranger), May 2-43.” Woman standing in front of Pioneer Express office. |
| 1/2 | 6 | Soldiers working in post exchange? |
| 1/2 | 7 | “Riggs in foreground, May 2-43.” Fairbanks Railroad Depot. |
| 1/2 | 8 | “Looking down Chena [River] from Fairbanks, May 3-43.” |
| 1/2 | 9 | “Looking up Chena [River] from Fairbanks, May 2-43.” |
| 1/2 | 10 | “C.W.T. basketball team, College gym. Jan-44.” Commandoes vs Cold Noses. |
| 1/2 | 11 | Small portrait of soldier. |
| 1/2 | 12 | “The first steam engine at Fairbanks Apr.-1943. |
| 1/2 | 13 | “P.X., C.W.T.” Dark interior of building. |
| 1/2 | 14 | “U.S.O., -43.” Interior of lounge. |
| 1/2 | 15 | “U.S.O., -43.” Interior of lounge. |
| 1/2 | 16 | “Nix. Lile, Henderson.” Soldiers at bar in U.S.O. |
| 1/2 | 17 | “Ehppnick, Scott, March-43.” Two soldiers kneeling in leather jackets. |
| 1/2 | 18 | “A typical Alaskan house, July-43.” Log cabin with sod roof. |
| 1/2 | 19 | “One of the modern signs at Fairbanks. In fact, The only one, -43.” Sign with mileage from Fairbanks to destinations on the Steese Highway. |
| 1/2 | 20 | “Taken from middle of barracks Looking west -43.” Interior of barracks looking toward roof. |
| 1/2 | 21 | “Other end of barracks, John Harold in bed, 43.” Another view from bellow with furnace in foreground. |
| 1/2 | 22 | “Church and Hospital, Fairbanks, Summer 43. |
| 1/2 | 23 | “C.E. Smith, Stanley, Joe, 1943.” Three soldiers wearing helmets. |
| 1/3 | Birch Lake Camp and Circle Hot Springs; 1943 (9 black and white prints). | |
| 1/3 | 1 | “Some of the boys at Birch Lake, 1943.” Five soldiers in work clothes in front of log cabin. |
| 1/3 | 2 | “My quarters at Birch Lake, Summer 1943.” Log cabin at end of dirt road. |
| 1/3 | 3 | “Birch Lake, 1943.” |
| 1/3 | 4 | Birch Lake. |
| 1/3 | 5 | “1943.” Zenas Richards in row boat with pike. |
| 1/3 | 6 | “1943, Alaska.” Zenas Richards in swim trunks standing with oar next to log cabin. |
| 1/3 | 7 | “Just a farm typical of Alaska, 43.” Circle Springs Trading Company building, Circle Hot Springs. |
| 1/3 | 8 | Man standing next to lake. |
| 1/3 | 9 | Zenas Richards standing next to lake. |
| 1/4 | Gold Dredge at Fox; 1943 (6 black and white prints). | |
| 1/4 | 1 | “Gold dredge, Fox. AAA., -43.” View of dredge from the front and side. |
| 1/4 | 2 | “Gold dredge, Fox, -43.” View of dredge from the side and rear. |
| 1/4 | 3 | “Nix and Henderson, -43.” Soldiers standing near front end of gold dredge. |
| 1/4 | 4 | “Gold dredge. -43.” View of dredge from the front. |
| 1/4 | 5 | “Taken at Fox, Lile, Nix, Henderon, -43.” Soldiers playing next to dredge tailings. |
| 1/4 | 6 | “Taken at Fox, A little snack at noon, Henderson, Lile, Kabet, Nix, -43.” Soldiers picnicking next to car. |
| 1/5 | McKinley National Park and McKinley Park Hotel; 1943 (24 black and white prints). | |
| 1/5 | 1 | “Taken from porch of hotel, 1943.” |
| 1/5 | 2 | “Entrance to Hotel, 1943.” |
| 1/5 | 3 | “Taken from lobby, Aug 1943.” View of mountains in distance. |
| 1/5 | 4 | “McKinley, 1943.” View of mountains from park road. |
| 1/5 | 5 | “Mt. McKinley Hotel, 1943.” View from railroad yard. |
| 1/5 | 6 | “McKinley, 1943.” |
| 1/5 | 7 | “Hotel, 1943 “View of hotel from a distance. |
| 1/5 | 8 | “Scenery, 1943.” |
| 1/5 | 9 | “Looking down Riley Creek, 1943.” Railroad bridge in center. |
| 1/5 | 10 | “Mountain and valley scenery, Polychrome Pass, 1943.” |
| 1/5 | 11 | “Mt. McKinley in background, 80 miles away, 1943.” |
| 1/5 | 12 | “Caribou, 1943.” Two caribou on tundra at right. |
| 1/5 | 13 | “Some Alaskan Scenery, McKinley, 1943.” |
| 1/5 | 14 | “Scenery, Polychrome Pass, 1943.” |
| 1/5 | 15 | “Horseshoe Lake, McKinley, Aug. 1943.” |
| 1/5 | 16 | “Scenery, McKinley, -43.” View from park road. |
| 1/5 | 17 | ” The one and only landing strip. McKinley, 43.” View of strip, buildings, and airplane. |
| 1/5 | 18 | “McKinley Station, Aug-43.” McKinley Park Railroad Station. |
| 1/5 | 19 | “McKinley, 60 miles away, Aug. – 43.” Soldiers taking pictures of Mount McKinley from park road. |
| 1/5 | 20 | “Lounge, McKinley Hotel, Time 12: m., -43.” Furniture, paintings, and fireplace in hotel lounge. |
| 1/5 | 21 | “Lobby, McKinley Hotel. Time – 12: M. -43.” Floor, furniture, and window drapes in hotel lounge.” |
| 1/5 | 22 | “Plaque at rangers cabins, Mt. McKinley, 43.” Bronze plaque. |
| 1/5 | 23 | “Ground squirrel, McKinley, -43.” |
| 1/5 | 24 | “Motor trip – McKinley, A Typical G.T. ride, -43.” Soldiers and civilians on and beside army trucks on park road. |
| 1/6 | Richards Family, Pancake Hollow Road, Highland, New York; 1942-1943 (34 black and white prints). Family members of Zenas Richards pictured include father, mother, sister Lois, brothers Peter and Jerry, and nephews Peter, Jr. and Jimmy. | |
| 1/7 | Girlfriend Lucile “Gracie” Hughes, Pancake Hollow Road, Highland, New York; 1941-1944 (37 black and white prints). People pictured include Lucile Hughes, her father and mother, friends Helen and Irene, and Zenas Richards, his mother, and brother Jerry. | |
| 1/8 | Copy negatives of selected items. |