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Greater Anchorage, Inc. Fur Rendezvous Records

Guide to the Greater Anchorage, Inc. Fur Rendezvous records
1938-2005

 Collection number: HMC-0121.
Creator: Greater Anchorage, Inc.
Title: Greater Anchorage, Inc. Fur Rendezvous records.
Dates: 1938-2005.
Volume of collection: 28 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Collection materials are in English.
Collection summary: Records of the organization responsible for the annual Fur Rendezvous festival in Anchorage.

Organizational history:
The first annual “Winter Sports Carnival” was held in Anchorage, Alaska over February 15-17, 1935.  In 1937, the name of the festival was changed to “Winter Sports Tournament and Fur Rendezvous,” in part after Alaska’s fur- trading heritage.  The central events included a fur auction, skiing, basketball, and hockey. The Fur Rendezvous was suspended in 1942 for the duration of World War II and resumed again in 1946. The event was managed at different times by civic groups, fraternal and service organizations, special committees, and the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce. The Fur Rendezvous was taken over in 1956 by Greater Anchorage, Inc., a non-profit civic organization, and was gradually expanded into a ten-day event in late February and early March of each year. Fur Rendezvous events include the World Championship Sled Dog Race (begun in 1946), the Women’s World Championship Sled Dog Race (begun in 1953), a fur auction, several balls including the Miner’s and Trapper’s Ball, sports such as men’s snowshoe softball, parades, contests such as the World Championship Dog Weight Pull (begun in 1967), assorted races including Grand Prix auto race, numerous exhibits, and other contests and activities.  The festival is known today as the Fur Rondy Festival.

Collection description:
The collection consists of papers and photographs created and kept by Greater Anchorage, Inc. that document the organization’s involvement with the annual Fur Rendezvous festival from 1938-2005.  These materials include festival advertisements, board meeting minutes and reports, brochures, concession and exhibit information, correspondence, event schedules, financial papers, mailing lists, membership records, newspaper clippings, programs, permits, press releases, and other papers relating to various festival events.  There is also an extensive set of photographs, negatives, contact prints, and proofs taken by photographer Ward W. Wells that document the events and activities of the Fur Rendezvous from 1952-1982. Other items of note include a set of booster buttons from 1974-1984; an incomplete set of collector buttons from 1965-1984; a set of annual event catalogs from 1951-1981 (1968 missing); a collectors album of the signatures of prominent attendees, and film such as promotional videos and footage of the festival from news organizations, among many other items.

Arrangement: The collection is divided into two parts: Part I. Materials acquired before 1999 and Part II. Materials acquired after 1999.

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 own copyright to this collection.

Preferred citation: Greater Anchorage Inc. Fur Rendezvous records, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.

Related materials: Fur Rendezvous Annual 1953/Alaska State Housing booklet, EPH-0082-AHS.

Acquisition note: The collection was placed on deposit in the Archives in 1980 by Greater Anchorage Inc. Additional material was deposited in 1981-2006 and continues to be submitted periodically.  Additional material from other sources has been added to the collection. The 1964 King Regent sash, which was awarded to Bill Rager, was transferred to Archives and Special Collections by the Anchorage Museum Atwood Resource Center in 2018.

Processing information: Part I of the collection was arranged and described by Archives staff prior to 1999.  Megan K. Friedel revised and updated this description in 2010.  Part II was re-boxed and foldered by Jeffrey Sinnott between 1999-2006 and was arranged and described by Lesley Ann Wallace and Megan K. Friedel in 2010.

Container list:

Part 1. Materials acquired before 1999. 14.2 cubic feet.

Part 1.  Series 1.  Historical files, 1938-1978. 10.2 cubic feet.
This series includes advertisements, board meeting minutes and reports, brochures, concession and exhibit information, correspondence, event schedules, financial papers, mailing lists, membership records, newspaper clippings, programs, permits, press releases, and other papers relating to various festival events. Arranged chronologically by year and then alphabetically by subject.

Box/Folder Description Dates
Box 1 Historical files.  Includes materials on the history of Greater Anchorage, Inc. and Kay Kennedy promotional information (1938-1939). 1938-1947, 1956-1966
Box 2 Historical files.  Includes ledgers and account books. 1967-1968
Box 3 Historical files. 1968-1969
Box 4 Historical files. 1969-1971
Box 5 Historical files.  Includes by-law revisions. 1971-1972
Box 6 Historical files. 1972
Box 7 Historical files.  Includes annuals. 1972-1973
Box 8 Historical files. 1973-1974
Box 9 Historical files. 1974-1976
Box 10 Historical files.  Includes by-laws and organization manual. 1976-1978, undated
Box 11 Minutes of meetings. 1982-1983

Part 1.  Series 2.  Ward W. Wells photographs, 1950-1982. 2 cubic feet.
The negatives, contact prints, and proofs in this series are arranged chronologically by year and then by negative number.  These numbers were assigned to the images by either by Ward W. Wells or the archivist who originally processed this collection. Folder titles are taken from the photographer’s original negative envelopes.  Photocopies of these envelopes are included in many folders.

The negatives are numbered as follows:

0000 #0-0 = Numbered by Ward W. Wells on negative.
0000 #(0-0) = Numbered by processor on negative sleeve.
0000 = 4 x 5 negatives.
0000-120 or 0000-135 = Added by processor to indicate negative size.

Box/Folder Description Dates
12/1 Unidentified negatives undated
12/2 Negatives 1084 #1-5: Moose Gooser Kiwanis undated
12/3 Negatives 1146 #1, 2: Fur Rendezvous Photo Contest sponsored by the Anchorage Photo Guild 1950
12/4 – 12/5 Negatives 1200 #9-1: Raising banner

Negatives 1203 #1, 2: Square dancers

1951
12/6 – 12/13 Negatives 1250 #1-16: Moose Gooser

Negatives 1250 #17-20: Folk dance

Negatives 1250 #21: Dog musher

Negatives 1250 #22, 23: Sons of Norway cake presentation

Negatives 1250 #24-33: Queen coronation

Negatives 1250 #34, 35: Hoosier Hot Shots: Clowns and police in front of 4th Avenue Theater

Negatives 1250 #36, 37: Blanket toss

Negatives 1250 #38-44B: Style show at Elks Hall

1952
12/14 Negatives 1494 #1-6: Dog teams 1954
12/15 – 12/17 Negatives 1712 #(1-3): Floats in parade

Negatives 1712 #(4, 5): Fur auction

Negatives 1712-120 #(3-8), (10-12): Dog sled races and fur auction

Negatives 1712-120 #(10-12): Dog sled races and fur auction

1956
12/18 -12/25 Negatives 1770 #1-6: Native carver

Negatives 1770 #(7-9): Wrestlers

Negatives 1770 #(10-17): Fur fashion show

Negatives 1770 #(18-28) Coronation Ball

Negatives 1770 #(29, 30): Various ceremonies

Negatives 1770-120 #3-5: Mushers

Negatives 1770-120 #(6-12): Blanket toss

Negatives 1770-120 #(13-19): Blanket toss

1957
12/26 – 12/35 Negatives 1862 #(1-7): Wrestling – Vic Christy and Mr. Moto

Negatives 1863 #(1-12): Parade

Negatives 1863-120 #(1-5): Parade

Negatives 1864 #(1-4): [1] Peggy Postgate, [2] Betty Watson, [3] Cindy Terby, [4] Unidentified person

Negatives 1864 #(1-10): Rondy Queen Jane DeLorenzo

Negatives 1864-120 #(1, 2): Native parkas and blanket toss

Negatives 1864-120 #(3, 4): Curling

Negatives 1864-120 #(5-21): Curling

Negatives 1881 #(1-13): Dog sled races

Negatives 1881-120 #(1-41): Dog sled races

1958
12/36 – 12/52 Negatives 2055-120 #1-3: Queen candidates before coronation

Negatives 2055-120 #4-17: Eskimo pageant

Negatives 2055-120 #18-28: Women’s dog sled races

Negatives 2055-120 #29-48: Queen coronation

Negatives 2055-120 #49-60: Parade

Negatives 2055-120 #63-66/69: Parade

Negatives 2055-120 #70-72: Fur auction

Negatives 2055-120 #75-89: Fur auction

Negatives 2055-120 #90-95: Sled dog weight-pulling contest (missing negative 2055-120 #91)

Negatives 2055-120 #96-109: Dog racing championships

Negatives 2055-120 #112-119: Dog racing championships

Negatives 2055-120 #122-125: Dog racing championships

Negatives 2055-120 #126-130: Eskimo blanket toss

Negatives 2055-120 #131-220: Miner’s & Trapper’s Ball and beard contest

Negatives 2055 #221-234: Queen coronation

Negatives 2055-120 #(1-26): Wrestling/Zsabo, Lord Blears, Mr. Moto, Billy Varga

Negatives 2055-135 #(1-14): Eskimo blanket toss

Negatives 2055-135 #(1-16): Pancake feed/Aunt Jemima

Negatives 2055-135 #(1-90): Eskimo pageant

Negatives 2055-135 #(1-3) Merry-Go-Around

Negatives 2055 MISC #(1-13): Misc. shots, unidentified negatives

1959
12/53 – 12/60 Negatives 3063-120 #1-20: Junior mushers

Negatives 3063-120 #21-32: Parade

Negatives 3063-2¼x3½ #33-44: Parade

Negatives 3063-120 #45: Chuck wagon

Negatives 3063-120 #46-51: Circus

Negatives 3063-120 #52, 53: Junior dog races

Negatives 3063-120 #54-89: Dog races

Negatives 3063-2¼x3½ #90-96: Dog races

1960
12/61 – 12/63 Negatives 3295-120 #1-4 Miss Alaska – Jean Ann Holm, Fairbanks

Negatives 3295-120 #(5-25) Miss Alaska – Jean Ann Holm, Fairbanks

Negatives 3295-120 #(26-30) Mike Watkins, 12, San Jose, CA, Newspaper Carrier – King for a Day

1961
Box 13 Contact prints of negatives 1084 #1-5 through 3295-120 #26-30 1950-1961
14/1 – 14/26 Negatives 3415A #1-16: Dr. Lombard

Negatives 3415A-120 #17-22: Dr. Lombard

Negatives 3415A-120 #23-29: General Foods Corp. – Gravy Train Publicity

Negatives 3415A-120 #30-61: Dogs

Negatives 3415A-120 #62-120: Go-Kart Races

Negatives 3415A-120 #121-173: Stock Car Races

Negatives 3415A-120 #174-180: Women’s Snowshoe Race

Negatives 3415A-120 #181-216: Junior Dog Sled Races

Negatives 3415A #217-223: Fourth Avenue Dog Races

Negatives 3415A-120 #224-242: Fourth Avenue Dog Races

Negatives 3415A-120 #244-287: Fourth Avenue Dog Races

Negatives 3415B-120 #288-293: Art Show

Negatives 3415B-120 #295-300: Photo Show

Negatives 3415B-2¼x3½ #301-315: Photo Show

Negatives 3415B-120 #316-332: Fur Auction

Negatives 3415B-120 #333-344, 352, 353: Rondy Parade

Negatives 3415B-2¼x3½ #345-351: Rondy Parade

Negatives 3415B-120 #354-371: Blanket Toss

Negatives 3415B #372: Announcers (individual/groups)

Negatives 3415B-120 #373-425: Individuals/groups (#376, 379, 390-391 depict “Mr. Fur Face, Muktuk Marston”)

Negatives 3415B-120 #426-469: Miscellaneous Crowds and Events

Negatives 3415B-2¼x3½ #470-473: Miscellaneous Individuals

Negatives 3415B-120 #475-480, 484-489: Chilkat Dancers

Negatives 3415B-120 #490-493: Dog Sled Races

Negatives 3415C-135 #(0-35)(1): Chilkat Dancers

Negatives 3415C-135 #(1-37)(2): Chilkat Dancers

Negatives 3415C-135 #(8-37)(3): Chilkat Dancers

1962
14/27 – 14/29 Negatives 4015 #1-10: Rondy Old Time Costumes

Negatives 4015-120 #(1-9): Chilkat Dancers

Negatives 4015-120 #(1-13): Eskimos – St. Lawrence Island

1963
14/30 – 14/45 Negatives 4140-120 #1-103: Lassie and Sky King

Negatives 4140-120 #104-105: Lassie and Farrel Ingham Children

Negatives 4170-120 #1-15: Miss Alaska Pageant/Talent

Negatives 4170 #16: Miss Alaska Pageant/Frank Feeman

Negatives 4170-120 #17-30: Miss Alaska Pageant/Coronation of Karol Homman

Negatives 4170 #31-55: Miss Alaska Pageant/Karol Homman, Winner

Negatives 4171-120 #1: Miss Anchorage Pageant/ Runner-Ups

Negatives 4171-120 #2-14: Miss Anchorage Pageant/ Talent

Negatives 4171-12 0 #15-17: Miss Anchorage Pageant/Everybody Can’t Be a Winner

Negatives 4171-120 #18: Frank Feeman

Negatives 4171 #19, 20: Introduction of Candidates

Negatives 4171-120 #21-23: Pageant – Stage Action

Negatives 4171-120 #24-26: Pageant – Paul Lien

Negatives 4171-120 #27-28: Pageant – Ballgowns

Negatives 4171 #29-31: Pageant – Susan Koslosky

Negatives 4171-120 #32-44: Pageant (Miss Anchorage) – Karol Homman

1964
14/46 – 14/49 Negatives 4256-120 #1-46: Miss Anchorage Contest

Negatives 4256-120 #47-51: Rondy Dog Races

Negatives 4256-120 #52-58: Rondy Parade

Negatives 4256-135 #(1-68): Rondy — Miss Anchorage

1965
14/50 Negative 7288 #1: GAI/Miss Alaska Contestants 1967
14/51 Negatives 4975-120 #1-10: Rondy – Old-Time Household Goods at Alaska Mutual Savings; Old Schoolroom at National Bank of Alaska 1972
14/52 – 14/53 Negatives (1980) #(1-11): Mr. and Mrs. Gene Smith – King and Queen Regents

Negatives (1980) #(1-20) Publicity Portraits – Casey Clure

1980
14/54 – 14/56 Negatives (1981) #(1-26): Debra Steckel, Rondy Queen

Negatives (1981) #(1-10): Mr. and Mrs. Elwood Nurse, King and Queen Regents

Negatives (1981) #(1-12): Gregory Bill – Publicity Portraits

1981
14/57 Negatives (1982) #(1-6): Mr. and Mrs. John Schandelmeier, Fur Rondy King & Queen – Publicity Portraits 1982
Box 15 Prints, contact prints, and proofs of negatives 3415A through 4975-120, (1980) through (1982), and unidentified. 1965-1982

Part 1.  Series 3. Artifacts, 1953-1985. 2 cubic feet.

Box Description Dates
Box 16 Booster buttons, annuals, and programs. 1953-1985
Box 17 Commemorative ceramic plates and collector’s albums containing commemorative autographed envelopes with signatures of public figures associated with the festival, which include Fur Rendezvous queens and winners. 1970-1984
Box 32 Lord Trapper commemorative mugs/steins; 1964 King Regent sash won by Bill Rager undated, 1964, 1984

Part 2. Materials acquired after 1999. 13.8 cubic feet.
The materials in these boxes are arranged in the original order in which they arrived at the Archives.

Box Description Dates
Box 18 Floor supervisor’s hat for Monte Carlo Night 1985
Box 19 Directors’ manuals of rules and regulations for exhibits, festival president resumes, and photographs of sporting events, including basketball, Grand Prix auto race auto race, dog sled races and social events such as awards banquets, dances, parades, and dinners. 1969, 1979-1985
Box 20 Annual board meeting notes, executive committee notes, drafts for director’s manual, action plans for events and exhibits, 1983 fully published director’s manual, and list of past presidents’ contact information. 1979-1992
Box 21 Budget notes, insurance papers, 1998 fireworks contract dispute papers, membership papers, event information including Miner’s and Trapper’s Ball and Monte Carlo Night, warehouse use plans, announcements, and photos of pageant winners and Fur Rendezvous Queens 1973-1991
Box 22 Publications (festival programs, magazines, premium books, and pamphlets) and photographs of contestants, kings and queens, events, and exhibits. 1970-1990
Box 23 Ward W. Wells color slides: A-G.  Arranged alphabetically by festival subject. 1985-1991
Box 24 Ward W. Wells color slides: G-P.  Arranged alphabetically by festival subject. 1985-1991
Box 25 Ward W. Wells color slides: P-S.  Arranged alphabetically by festival subject. 1985-1991
Box 26 Ward W. Wells color slides: S-W.  Arranged alphabetically by festival subject. 1985-1991
Box 27 President’s correspondence, board meeting notes (1994), economic impact study (1989), legal and financial papers, event information, and advertisements. 1989-1994
Box 28 Film footage from news organizations, promotional videos, Chamber of Commerce membership directories, oversized photos of the Grand Prix auto race, and one handler banner for dog sledding. 1991-2005
Box 29 Photographs of individuals, arranged alphabetically by name, and festival events. 1956-1989
Box 30 Official events guides, Who’s Who Festival and Events membership directory (50th edition), collector’s program (1985), unidentified events photographs, and artifacts, including commemorative plate (1995), commemoratives pins, and piece of walrus tusk. 1982-2004
Box 31
(oversize)
Income account book for 1971-1971, Ward W. Wells photographs of festival activities (1959 and undated), cassette tape of 12/16/1975 speech by Bob Sumbardo at the Presidents Luncheon at the Anchorage Westward Hotel, 1967 festival program, newspaper clippings, and binder of photocopies made in 1981 of 1937 Winter Sports Tournament and Fur Rendezvous material 1959-1981

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