The Tongass Historical Society owns an extensive collection of historic Ketchikan-area photographs. The Society’s photograph, artifact, and archival collections are stewarded by Ketchikan Museums, housed at the Tongass Historical Museum, and frequently on display in exhibits and throughout the community.
Ketchikan Museums offers reproductions of many historic photographs owned by the Tongass Historical Society, and Ketchikan Museums. For more information on photograph reproductions, please contact the Museum Director at 1 (907) 225-5600.
First large aircraft in Ketchikan, August 7, 1938
This Pan American Sikorsky S-43 was the first large aircraft to
land in Ketchikan. It carried air express mail on twice-weekly
runs from Seattle.
Otto C. Schallerer photo
Donor: Bertha Wells, THS 63.9.10.36Copper Mountain smelter, 1906
Tram rails and smelter on Prince of Wales Island.
Photographer: Harriet Hunt
Donor: Forest J. Hunt, THS 62.4.4.142This aircraft made the first non-stop flight from Seattle to Alaska made by this Alaska-Washington Airways Lockheed Vega,…
Alaska-Washington Airways Lockheed Vega, “Juneau” NC-432-E arriving in Ketchikan in April 1929. The Pilot Anscel Eckman sits atop the plane. Possibly R. E. Bob Ellis hauling in a mooring line. This aircraft made the first non-stop flight from Seattle to Alaska arriving in Juneau on April 15, 1929 with A. Eckmann as the pilot, Jack Halloran as the mechanic, and Bob Ellis as the navigator. This plane flew in southeast Alaska during the year 1929 and 1930 until April 20, 1930 before the factory deemed the plane beyond repair and scraped it at the factory.
Pioneering airplane arriving in Ketchikan, 1929
The Juneau, a Lockheed Vega belonging to Alaska-Washington Airways, arrived in Ketchikan on April 19, 1929, having completed the first non-stop flight from Seattle to Juneau only days earlier. Sitting atop the plane is the pilot, Anscel Eckmann. Jack Hollerman served as the mechanic and Bob Ellis as the navigator on the flight. The plane continued to fly in Southeast Alaska until April of 1930, when it was deemed beyond repair and scrapped.
In 1936, Bob Ellis established Ellis Airlines, headquartered in Ketchikan.
Century – 20Con Giebel photo
Donor: Dixie Baade, THS 73.3.16.27
Hand-Seiners at Loring
Hand-seiners fishing in Roosevelt Lagoon hauling a net full of salmon into a cannery boat for the Alaska Packer Association cannery at Loring, Alaska during the summer of 1908.
Text from Loring album, page 15
“The seines are laid out around a school of salmon. Then gradually
the ends are brought together and the net
is taken in until a sort of purse from which
they are hauled aboard the seine boats.Halibut schooner fleet at Ketchikan Cold storage dock, circa 1930
Fisher Studio photo
Donor: Alfred and Elma Milotte, THS 86.1.3.31Miners in New Town, Ketchikan, Alaska, circa 1905
Bertha Wells photo
Donor: Bertha Hunt Wells, THS 75.4.6.11
Type of Inscription: WRITING
Text: Men Working A Mine At New Town In 1900 When I Took This Picture On Back: Tunnel At New Town & Men Working It- I Took This Picture In 1900 When Mrs. Beegle & I Went For A Walk & Found It Don’t Know The Men’s Names- Picture Belongs To Bertha Wells,Steamship at dock in Ketchikant, circa 1915
Donor: Harold Keith, THS 79.9.9.3
