Alaska, 1868: Nolan Center hosts exhibit of first known photographs of life in Southeast Alaska

The Nolan Center, Wrangell's museum, movie theater, and cultural center, is hosting a new exhibit. "Muybridge in Alaska: 1868," is a collection of 16 original stereo views of Southeast Alaska, taken by pioneer photographer Eadweard Muybridge. These are some of the first known photographs of the region ever taken, according to a press release from the Nolan Center.

"He was commissioned by the US government as part of an expedition led by Major-General Henry W. Halleck to photograph native Tlingit residents, Russian inhabitants, and dramatic landscape," the press release reads. "These images of Tongass, Wrangell and Sitka are the first ever taken."

Even by the standards of their time and the images captured, Muybridge's photographs are unique. The images, or stereo views, are doubles of the same picture. This means that they have to be viewed through a special lens, to create a 3D image. They provide an interesting look back to a fascinating time in Alaskan and American history.

"Essentially they're two photos side by side, and you need a special twinscope viewer, you know like those old little viewers, and that merges the two photos together into a 3D image," said Keeleigh Solverson, with the Nolan Center. "So it's a hands-on exhibit. We have three of the twinscopes and 16 photos."

These photos were taken shortly after the Civil War, said Solverson, and the United States had only recently purchased the territory from Russia. The exhibit has been making rounds across the state this year. According to the press release, the exhibit was shown in the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage from January to March. From there, it made its way to Haines. Wrangell will host the exhibit until mid-August.

A special opening ceremony will be held on Tuesday, July 16. Solverson said that the exhibit's curator, Marc Shaffer, will be present to talk more in-depth about Muybridge's history. Virginia Oliver will also be in attendance to talk about Tlingit history and culture of the mid-1800s. To learn more about the exhibit, contact the Nolan Center at (907) 874-3699.