2009 Fall Quarterly

Baranov Quarterly
The Newsletter of the Kodiak Historical Society  Fall 2009
Building Preservation: Progress & Success
In This Issue:
DIRECTOR’S
MESSAGE
- Page 2
CURATOR’S
CORNER
Encaustics
by Antoinette
Walker
- Page 3
MUSEUM
LEARNING
New
opportunities
- Page 4
FROM THE
ARCHIVES
Pinnel & Talifson
at Olga Bay
- Page 5
MUSEUM
HAPPENINGS
Behind the scenes
with the collections
- Page 6
MEMBERSHIP
Our thanks to
new & renewing
members
- Page 7
Who could have predicted how sweet the smell
that the first can of building paint could be? It
has been years of assessments, planning, fundraising, trials, and finally we are ready for the
painting. In addition to being the most visually
prominent, the paint work is the last large
task in the multi-year preservation effort we
launched to celebrate the 200th anniversary of
the building in 2008. For this stage, contractors
Wolverine Supply have stripped the redwood
siding of the many layers of paint using electric
heat guns and careful hand-scraping. Next they
repair split boards, salvaging as much original
material as possible, reset the boards with
stainless fasteners, caulk, sand, and finish with
a primer and two top coats of pure white latex
paint. We are pleased to have Don Corwin of
West Wind Woodworking acting as our on-site
representative for this work.
Don’s work on window restoration continues
through this year - his second summer season
with us. No two windows are precisely alike
and each unit presents a unique challenge.
The window work this season has also offered
new clues about the building’s history and
reinforced well-known stories. For example, a
window unit in the early American era exhibit
room, on the Sargent Park elevation, was found
to be insulated with Montpelier, Vermont’s
Argus & Patriot from the early 1880s. How this
newspaper traveled to Kodiak Island in the first
decades following the cession of Alaska from
Historic mill work specialist Don Corwin displays
window trim boards stamped with “W.J. Erskine, Kodiak,
Alaska.” The Erskine family lived in the Museum
building from 1908 - 1948.
As of Sept. 1
the paint on
the Center
Ave. elevation
had been
stripped, the
siding boards
repaired,
reset, caulked
and sanded.
Time to prime
& paint!
continued on page 2
Behind-the-Scenes with the Collections
A model sailing ship made of whale baleen, a
Thomas Ignatin mask featuring a cedar hoop
and feathers, a ceramic pot, and a 19th century
kayak model. These are some of the distinctive
artifacts identified by the Baranov Museum staff
as presenting a particular challenge for safe
storage. In June of this year, Objects Conservator
Dana Senge of Seattle, WA, led a workshop for
the staff and volunteers of local museums on the
creation of custom storage trays and boxes for a
variety of unique objects. The workshop, funded
by a grant from the Institute of Museum and
Library services, provided direction on how
to better support the structure of objects, and
reduce environmental risks such as dust, light,
and over-handling as well as more serious
threats such as earthquake tremors, and
volcanic ash.
One of the workshop participants was
Jennifer Dennis, a graduate student in Art
Conservation at Buffalo State College, Buffalo,
continued on page 6
D irector ’ s M essage
continued from page 1
Russia remains a mystery. But we were delighted to pour over the
contents, including an advertisement for “Dyke’s Beard Elixir” guaranteed to put hair on your face for just 10 cents.
In the nearby kitchen window we found evidence of the infamous
murder of Alaska Commercial Company agent Benjamin McIntyre.
In November of 1886, McIntyre was dining in the kitchen with
several associates when a disgruntled fur hunter shot through the
window, killing him instantly. This window clearly showed the
subsequent repair work. Like the majority of adjacent windows
the sash is made of pine, but here the lower section of the sash has
been replaced with fir. The macabre McIntyre story is quite popular
around here, especially with the elementary-school visitors, and it
was a real treat to actually lay our hands on this history!
Over on the north-east end of the building (near the whale bones), we
discovered remnants of repair work by W.J. Erskine. We estimated
that this area of the building would reveal the most “modern”
windows, as photographic evidence from the 1920s shows that
W.J. battled significant wood rot on this side of his home. True to
expectations, the windows on the northeast are different in make and
operation. Intended to be true double-hung sliding windows, both
the upper and lower sash are hung on cords and counterbalanced
by weights concealed in the wall cavity. Also on these units, Don
Corwin discovered trim boards stamped with “W.J. Erskine, Kodiak,
Alaska,” and a doll’s lace dress.
It is gratifying to know that the work we do today ensures the
integrity of the building for the next 200 years. We measure our
success by how well we understand the evolution of the building and
our role in its story. All the individuals involved in this preservation
endeavor - architects, archaeologists, engineers, restoration
consultants, carpenters, haz-mat specialists, electricians, laborers - are
now inextricably part of the remarkable history of this place. I am
so very grateful to have worked with dozens of individuals willing
to take the time to study and appreciate the building and strive for
excellence in their work.
If you have not had the opportunity this year to admire our new
lighting system, or state-of-the-art sprinkler system, or restored
windows, please stop by. This well-used old building is here for you,
your family and your neighbors to enjoy. And the work we have
(almost) completed merits your admiration.
Sincerely,
Katie Oliver
Executive Director
2. F all 2009
Kodiak Historical Society &
Baranov Museum
101 Marine Way
Kodiak, AK 99615
Phone (907) 486-5920
Fax (907) 486-3166
e-mail [email protected]
www.baranovmuseum.org
Kodiak Historical Society
Board of Directors
Pat Holmes, President
Margie Draskovich, Vice President
Jane Van Atta, Secretary
Lynda Ross, Treasurer
Gil Bane
Charlie Davidson
Nancy Kemp
Mary Monroe
Reed Oswalt
Our Mission Statement
The purpose of the Kodiak Historical
Society is to collect, preserve, research and
exhibit historically significant artifacts,
documents, photographs and other data
relative to the Kodiak and Aleutian
Islands area; to evaluate and interpret the
materials in the collections for educational
purposes and presentation to the public;
and to continue to develop and maintain a
library of rare books about the Kodiak and
Aleutian Islands area.
Museum Staff
Katie Oliver, Executive Director
Alice Ryser, Archivist
Ellen Lester, Curator of Collections
Ani Thomas, Education Coordinator
Nancy Pierce, Gallery & Gift Shop
Linn Ensley, Gallery & Gift Shop
Museum Hours
Winter Hours
Tues - Sat: 10 - 3
Closed Sunday & Monday
Summer Hours
Mon - Sat: 10 - 4, Sun: 12 - 4
Admission $3.00
C urator ’ s C orner
Three encaustic paintings by local artist Antoinette Walker were
recently purchased for the permanent collections thanks to grant
funds from the Rasmuson Foundation’s Art Acquisition Initiative.
Each piece reflects a different contemporary or historic aspect of the
commercial salmon fishery of coastal southwest Alaska. The series
includes the titles Roe Girls, Going to Market, and Double Ender #67 –
each work a fusion of form and color melded with textured terrains
of people and place.
Double Ender #67 is a nod to the tough and unique Bristol Bay salmon
fishery of years gone, when federal regulations outlawed anything
but sail power until 1952. Roe Girls speaks to the gender division
of salmon processing, and depicts women at work sorting salmon
eggs in a weathered cannery building. Going to Market was inspired
by the extreme tides of the region, sometimes leaving piers exposed
twenty feet or more. With a textured net background, a faded photo
of rough seas and an embedded hand-salve label, Going to Market
incorporates the evocative elements and subtle wit that distinguishes
Walker’s artwork. Each piece individually contains an interesting
story. Together, the pieces portray an overarching narrative of one
of the most important industries in regional history over the past 100
years.
Encaustics is a medium of pigmented beeswax and varnish, heated
to a molten state and then quickly applied to a porous surface. As
each colored wax layer is applied it must be fused with heat again
to melt the layers together. The wax can be gouged, or incised for
textured effect. Walker incorporates multimedia elements such as
photographs, maps, salmon can labels, pieces of fishing net and
seabird feathers. Of her work Walker explains, “When I look around
me, I see the footprints of animals or people who have been there or
still are there – a scrap of paper, an old spoon. So when I paint, it
always seems like something is missing without these elements.”
Antoinette Walker is a long-time Kodiak resident whose artistic
expression mirrors her life and work. Earlier works in the Baranov
Museum collection include the 1995 original oil painting Lake
Gertrude, and an acrylic mixed-media of the Kodiak Russian
Orthodox Church. Her encaustic piece Blues is currently touring the
state as part of Spill: Alaskan Artists Remember, the 20th anniversary
exhibition of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Arctic Rose Art Gallery,
Anchorage, Bunnell Street Gallery, Homer and Emerald Isle Gallery
and the Next Page, Kodiak are galleries where her work can be
purchased.
Above from the top:
Going to Market, 2008, Double Ender #67, 2008, Roe
Girls, 2008. All new works in Baranov Museum
collection by Kodiak artist Antoinette Walker.
S ummer 2009 3.
O pportunities
for
L earning
Kids Dig It!
The Baranov Museum has enjoyed working with the Kodiak Wildlife
Refuge’s award winning Salmon Camp program for several years. This
year we led kids to dig up Kodiak’s history themselves through a mock
archaeology dig. Kids learned techniques and proper use of tools and
then were divided into teams of two. Each team commenced removing
layers of time from their pits. Several kids beamed or shouted with the
discovery of their first artifacts! The fun did not stop there. Children
processed and studied their finds in a lab with the task of finding a
common usage for their artifacts. They then created their own museum
exhibits. It was a great way to learn a little history, explore artifacts and
discover how museums share those stories.
The kids had a great time! Nineteen second graders unearthed 75
artifacts from samovar spigots and wooden toy kayaks to Russian
handmade square nails and porcelain shards. We had some serious
excavators! We repeated the program with 18 more the following week.
Costumes!
Nothing promotes imaginative play and brings history to life like
costumes! We are happy to announce that our Russian kid costumes have
arrived and are already being enjoyed by our young visitors. Costumes
will be used in several arts and education programs, after school
programs, First Friday Family Fun Nights and youth tours. Thank you
to the USCG Spouses Association of Kodiak, Alaskan Leaders Fisheries
Foundation, and Julie & Reagan Smith for their generous donations to
make this possible. Call to seamstresses! In the works are several Alutiiq
costumes. If you have time or experience to lend to this project, please
contact Ani Thomas [email protected].
Mock archaeology is a great way to
teach kids about museum collections!
Matrushka!
The Baranov Museum recently offered Matrushka Doll Painting classes as
a part of the Kodiak Arts Council’s Sum’Arts Program 2009. The two-day
classes introduced children to Russian culture through artifacts, costumes,
music, stories and art. Children then studied the wonderful collection of
dolls at the museum and began sketching their own designs on sets of
unpainted Russian nesting dolls. Kids ages 6-12 created gorgeous toys to
treasure. If you missed out on our summer classes, make sure to sign up
early for our next class in October (date TBA). This class is also available
homeschool groups, scout groups and as an after school program. Please
make your requests at least one month in advance if possible.
Costumes bring history to life! Kids
learn about Russian culture with
costumes, music, artifacts and art.
Far left: Hallee Blair
was one of 30 children
who participated in our
Matrushka doll painting
classes this summer.
Left: Matrushka Doll
Exhibit - Visit the Kodiak
College Library to see the
dolls on display Sept. 15
to Nov. 15, 2009.
4. F all 2009
F rom
the
A rchives ...
Morris Talifson was 18 years old when he met Bill Pinnell
in the 1920s. Together they worked on ranches during
the summer and trapped during the winter in and around
Montana. In 1927 they became partners after Pinnell had
hired Talifson to work on his fur farm.
In 1938 Pinnell heard from a friend who had made $200
one winter mining for gold on a beach at Kodiak Island.
Together Pinnell and Talifson tried their hand at mining
and as winter watchmen for Alaska Packers Association at
Olga Bay in 1938. In 1949 they received their guide licenses
and started guiding bear hunts on Kodiak Island. Their
first Spot camp was built at Red River, then Karluk and
lastly Dog Salmon, with their headquarters at the cannery
at Olga Bay.
In reference to some of the hunters, Pinnell commented
in one of his interviews, “Sometimes this stuff is really
comical, other times it’s annoying. Some of the hunters are
good shots and some couldn’t hit one of these buildings if
they were inside and shut the doors.”
To have hunted the Kodiak brown bear in the company of
Bill Pinnell and Morris Talifson would be to say beyond
all doubt, they were truly the last of the great Brown Bear
Guides. In 1976, one third of the bear taken on Kodiak
Island in the Boone and Crockett Club’s record book were
from Pinnell and Talifson guided hunts. Hunters from
all over the world came to Olga Bay to stalk the Kodiak
bear with these two men. William Pinnell died March 27,
1990 at Olga Bay on Kodiak Island at the age of 91. Morris
Talifson passed away March 14, 2000, at the age of 90, in
Choteau, Montana.
- Alice Ryser
Morris Talifson is on the right, posing with a hunter.
Kodiak Historical Society, Sid Omlid collection, P-846-94.
Bill Pinnell cleaning fish on the beach at Olga Bay.
Kodiak Historical Society, Sid Omlid collection, P-846-187.
All photographs are from Sid Omlid’s collection.
Morris Talifson in 1988 posing by a sign at Olga Bay.
Kodiak Historical Society, Sid Omlid collection, P-846-14
Bill Pinnell (far left) with visiting cannery
superintendents (right, in suits) at Olga Bay. Third from
the left is Kodiak pilot Bob Hall.
Kodiak Historical Society, Sid Omlid collection, P-467-214.
F all 2009 5.
B ehind - the -S cenes
The Baranov Museum is pleased to announce receipt
of a grant award from the Alaska State Museum
in the amount of $7,440.00 to fund conservation
treatment on four gut skin jackets in the collections.
Known as kanaglluk in Sugt’stun, the Alutiiq
language, or as kamleika, from a Chukchi term, the
jackets are made from the intestines and esophagus
of bear or sea mammals. For centuries the Alutiiq
people of Kodiak Island created and wore these
outer garments with strips of the light and tough
material arranged horizontally and sewn with
ingenious waterproof stitches.
The gut material of the jackets stays flexible only
when it is saturated with water. When dry for an
extended period, the material can be brittle and
misshapen. The conservation treatment therefore
will include humidification and reshaping of
the kamleikas, cleaning, repairs to tears, and
stabilization of loss areas. For this project, Objects
Conservator Dana Senge of DKS Conservation
Services, Seattle, WA, will spend two weeks at the
Baranov Museum in February of 2010. The project
will also see the development of custom storage
and exhibit mounts for each jacket. The Museum is
planning open house events during the treatment to
allow interested community members to meet the
conservator and learn more about the jackets and the
work to preserve them.
Ms. Senge is currently treating the 19th century
spruce root basket discovered in the June 2008
with the
C ollections
This hooded
child’s kamleika
belonged to
Herman Von
Scheele of
Afognak Village
and was donated
by Herman’s
daughter Eunice
Von Scheele
Neseth, herself
a long-time
curator and
advocate for the
museum.
archaeological excavations on the Museum grounds.
The kamleika conservation project was designed
to maximize time already scheduled on the island
corresponding with the return of the completed
spruce root basket. “We are thrilled with this
award,” said Museum Director Katie Oliver. “We
learned during the baidarka conservation project
and our recent open house event that the people
of Kodiak are truly interested in behind-the-scenes
collections care work. We look forward to sharing
the treatment with the families and communities
associated with the jackets, and with the general
public.”
continued from page 1
NY, and the summer intern for both the Baranov
and Alutiiq Museums. Jenny used the workshop as
a launching point for putting her specialized skills to
use in the Baranov Museum collection storage rooms.
For the next eight weeks, Jenny worked with archival
corregated board, foam blocks, hot glue guns, Tyvek,
tissue paper and twill tape to create custom storage
for a wide variety of artifacts. She carved into sheets
of ethafoam to create individualized cavities for
dozens of harpoon heads and other bone and ivory
tools. She also completed condition assessment
reports, adding her assessments to our collections
database so current and future staff can monitor
conditions over time. Of her work and studies,
Jenny explains, “In order to be an effective objects
conservator, I need experience with the challenges,
environmental conditions and treatments for a
wide variety of materials. It has been a wonderful
experience for me to intern at the Baranov Museum
this summer.”
6. S ummer 2009
Above left: Jennifer Dennis prepares a tray for a collection of early
20th-century hand tools. Above right: Custom storage trays prepared
this summer for ivory & bone pieces in the collection.
M embership
We would like to extend sincere thanks to all of our new and renewing members.
Your continuing support is truly appreciated.
P atrons
Pat Branson & Gordon Gould, Bill Bulen, Linda Freed & Alan Schmitt, Gabrielle Ledoux,
Roy & Linda Madsen, Mary Monroe, Reed & Marcia Oswalt, Lynda & Richard Ross.
S ponsors
Jim Arneson, Associated Island Brokers, Alan & Ginny Austerman, Skip Bolton, Bob & Joan Brodie,
Dan & Randy Busch – Kodiak Island River Camps, Donald W. Clark, Lu & Stefani Dochtermann,
Jane Eisemann, Joe & Carolyn Floyd, Karl Gurcke, Sven & Balika Haakanson, Barbara & Rob
Hoedel, Pat & Patty Holmes, Beverly Horn, Steven & Sharon Horn – Gallant Girl Inc., Tim &
Donna Hurley, Hazel Jones, Anne & Vito Kalcic, David & Marita Kaplan, Nancy Kemp, Charlie &
Suzanne King, Kodiak Arts Council, Leo & Beth Kouremetis, Rick & Diane Langfitt, Ellen Lester,
Tim & Mary Jane Longrich, Mildred Muller, Alvin & Arlene Nelson, Nedrow, In memory of Sandi
Nedrow, Dan Ogg & Sue Jeffrey, Amelia Oliver & Jason Pierce, Katie Oliver, Robert & Gail Otto,
Deedie Pearson, Paul & Marolyn Pedersen, Byron & Nancy Pierce, J. Francis Powell, Guy & Merle
Powell, Martha Randolph, Lyle & Debra Refior, Mike & Kathy Rostad, Saltonstall Family, Gretchun
Saupe, Jerome & Gloria Selby, Gary & Rita Stevens, Joe Stevens, Nancy & Thomas Sweeney, Szabo
Office Services, Jane Van Atta, John Venables, Lonnie & Elana White – Strawberry Fields, Hester
Whitcher.
S upporters
Rob & Louise Acheson, Joan Antonson, Doris Bacus, Gil Bane, Tim Blott Family, Stephen, Lars &
Switgard Bodnar, Mark Cassell, Frances Cater, Luanne Cottle, Glenn Davenport, Glenn & Beth
Dick – Teal House, Harry & Brigid Dodge – Kodiak Treks, Margie Draskovich, Peggy Dyson, Roy
& Lita Ecklund, Wallace & Beth Fields, Meriam Fox, Shirley Heglin, Lyn Hejinian, Marian & Bob
Johnson, Vicki & Kent Kluever, Kodiak Russian Balalaika Players, Kodiak Veterinary Clinic, Gary
& Barbara Marconi, Gerald Markham, Eric & Mary Munk, Ted & Norma Nelson, Diane Pleninger,
Mike & Kathy Rostad, Toby Sullivan, Katrina & Ismail Tutar, Gretchen Wing,
John & Tina Witteveen, Norman Wooten.
F amily & I ndividual M embers
Ron & Judith Acarregui, Nettie Amason, Andria Anderson, Harvey Brandt, Olivia Brisbane, Bob Brodie,
Peter Boskofsky, Seraphima Carl, Kathleen Carlsen, Jan Chatto, Mary Cichoski, Nancy Croon, Scott &
Leslie Cummings, Marcella Dillon, Don & Reanne Douglass, Ayn DuBois, Gerald & Linn Ensley, William
Erskine, Libby Eufemio, Judy Fulp, Anjuli Grantham, Suzanne Hancock, Margaret Hall, Michael Helbig,
Aaron Holmes, Craig & Terrie Johnson, Harold & Marcy Jones, Nancy Jones, Christy Kinter, Nancy Kotula,
Thomas Lance, Shelly Lawson, Glen Lewis, Chris & Betsey Myrick, Joe & Judy O’Donnoghue, Brian &
Ruth-Anne O’Gorman, Myrtle Olsen, Maruis & Sylvia Panzarella, Elinor Poll-Ramos, Charles & Theresa
Peterson, Don & Jeanne Pontti, Chris Provost, Sue Anne Ramaglia, Laura Resoff, Gene & Dana Robinson,
Pat & Frank Roppel, Milton Routzahn, Alice Ryser, Christine Salo, Eric & Teri Schneider, Tom & Arlene
Simpler, Arlene Skinner, Darla Sluder, Phyllis & Gene Sundberg, Tim & Rita Tesch, Ani Thomas, Joan
Thomas, Hillary & Larry Van Daele, Carol Wandersee, Eric & Lisa Zeimer.
To become a new or renewing member please call the Baranov Museum at 486-5920. If we have inadvertently left you,
your spouse, or your business off the list, please call for corrections.
The Baranov Musuem is operated in partnership between the Kodiak Historical Society and the City of Kodiak. The Kodiak
Historical Society is funded in part by the City of Kodiak, Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska State Museum, Institute of
Museums and Library Services, the Rasmuson Foundation, and many private donors. We thank you all for your support!
F all 2009 7.
Kodiak Historical Society
Baranov Museum
101 Marine Way
Kodiak, AK 99615

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I would like to begin / renew my
membership as a:
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101 Marine Way, Kodiak AK 99615 (907)  486-5920  www.baranov.us