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Photographers in the Yukon, Alaska and adjacent British Columbia

Part 1: 1886 - 1946

Compiled by Murray Lundberg


Dateline: January 1998.
Posted at ExploreNorth: January 25, 2024. Last update: January 17, 2026.

Camera Workers, 1858-1950 by David Mattison.




ADAMS, Edward C.:

- 1901, Adams & Co., then Adams & Larkin, had shop in Dawson at Third Ave. near King St.
- October 20 1906, Adams & Co. still in Dawson; Duclos has left, so they are advertised as the only professional portrait photographers in town.




ADNEY, Tappan:

- a reporter who was commissioned by the London Chronicle and Harp & Bros. publisher to send back photos and reports on the gold rush.




ALBERTSTONE, Reuben:

- 1892, operating the Sitka View & Portrait Company in Sitka, with Louis Moosbauer.




ATWOOD, Frederic N.:

- 1899, in partnership with George Cantwell in Dawson, advertising as "Landscape and Commercial Photographers."




BANKS, H. D.:

- photographer for "The Mysterious 36" on the Dalton Trail, 1898.




BARLEY, Harry C.:

- hired by the White Pass & Yukon to keep the London stockholders abreast of developments during the construction.
- his demands that workers "freeze" while he exposed a photo infuriated the foremen.
- during the blasting of the grade at Rocky Point, he set up his equipment too close, and it was destroyed by flying debris; he was hit in the leg, and was unable to walk for a week.
- was unable to attend the arrival of the first passenger train to the summit on February 20, 1899; E. A. Hegg was hired to do the day's work.
- 1900-1901, had Jerry Doody working for him; included in his work was selling photo advertising for roadhouses on the Dawson trail (Whitehorse Star, Jan. 9, 1901) .
- 1902, had a studio in Skagway at 400 Broadway.




BERG, Otto:

- ca. 1947, Berg's Studio operating in Whitehorse (see postcard, aerial view of city, in PHO 325, #87/57)




BLANKENBERG, John M.:

- Dawson 1901 (Ferguson's Directory).




CALLARMAN:

- working in Whitehorse 1904




CANTWELL, George C.:

- photographer and taxidermist.
- working in Dawson 1898 - 1901.
-November 16, 1898, The Klondike Nugget: "Mr. Geo. C. Cantwell late of Juneau, Alaska, is doing the outside photographic work for E. A. Hegg."
- December 1899, partner with Mr. Atwood as Atwood & Cantwell.
- ca. 1901, published The Klondike - A Souvenir. Photo of Cantwell on page 11.




CASE, William Howard:

- Case & Draper were based in Skagway (Juneau later?)
- photo #3983 is excellent view of the Skagway shop (n.d.)
- his house, built in 1904 at Alaska St. & Seventh Ave., was restored privately in 1980.
- probably also had a cabin in the Atlin area (see photo. #3, AHL Coll. #79/17)
- 1899, Case & Draper published The Gold Fields of the Klondike Douglas, AK: J.B. Prather). It includes some Atlin photos.




CHAPMAN, C. H.:

- July 1946, operating the Klondike Photo Shop in Dawson, noted for photos of aircraft (ref?).




CLEVELAND, V.:

- in partnership with Arthur Clarence Pillsbury.
- July 6, 1899, at Bennett for the driving of the last spike of the White Pass & Yukon Route railway (The Daily Alaska, July 7).




COGGAN, G. F.:

- July 26, 1916: "G. F. Coggan & Co., Portrait and Commercial Photographers" at Skagway, on Broadway near 3rd Avenue (The Daily Alaskan).




CRAIG, M. H.: - working in Dawson, spring 1898.




CURTIS, Asahel:

- See our biography page - Asahel Curtis (1874-1941).




DARMS, Herman A.:

- working in Dawson August 1900-1904.
- 1905, published The Yukon Illustrated. Printed in Dawson, about 90 pages. YA copy at 1905-25.




DeGROFF, Edward:

- 1888, working in Sitka; he was a photographer as well as merchant, and was active in many community organizations.
- May 4, 1889, The Alaskan (Sitka), "Mr. Ed. DeGroff has arranged to open a branch establishment of his photographic business at Juneau some time this month. The studio in Sitka will be managed by an assistant while the branch will be run by Mr. DeGroff himself."
- September 28, 1889, The Alaskan, "Ed DeGroff, who has had a successful season in the photographic business at Juneau the past summer, will return on the next steamer to Sitka for the winter."
- May 1892, agent for the Taber Photograph Company.




DOODY, Jerry:

- 1900-1901, working for H.C.Barley; among other work, selling photo advertising for roadhouses on the Dawson trail (Whitehorse Star, Jan. 9, 1901)
- 1903, partner with Ephrim J.Hamacher in Whitehorse
- ca. 1906, published, with Bennett News Co. and E. J. Hamacher, A Yukon Souvenir.
- March 1917, living in Dawson; elected as Inner Guard of the Moose Lodge No. 1393 (Star, Mar. 30).
- still living in Dawson 1922 (photos #9292, 9263)




DRAPER, Herbert Horace:

- Case & Draper were based in Skagway.
- 1899, Case & Draper published The Gold Fields of the Klondike Douglas, AK: J.B. Prather). It includes some Atlin photos.
- died in Skagway on August 11, 1913.
- buried at Morris Hill Cemetery in Boise, Idaho.




DUCLOS, Joseph E. N.:

- August 30, 1899, "Larss & Duclos this week had their photographic studio enclosed with boarding and tar paper, preparatory to the advent of winter." (KN)
- Larrs & Duclos had shop on First Avenue in Dawson in 1899-1901: photo #754
- December 9, 1899, Dawson Daily News, "Special reductions for Christmas photos at Larss & Duclos, corner Third street and Third avenue. Successors to Hegg & Co."
- April 25, 1901, The Klondike Nugget, "Lars & Duclos are putting up a building on Third avenue, between Second and Third streets, and there area number of other buildings under construction."
- 1904, had studio on NE corner of Third Ave. and King St. in Dawson: photo #762
- October 1906, Adams & Company are advertising that Duclos has "gone to the outside."
- July 10, 1912 Dawson Daily News: "Say, did you see those beautiful colored photos on convex glass in Duclos' show window? Nothing ever like them here before. You should see them. One of them is given away with every dozen of photos at $10.00 or more. And the prettiest styles of card mounts to select from. Only for a few days."




ELLINGSEN, E. O.:

- in Dawson 1905-1920
- 1920, had studio on Third Ave. South




FAULKNER, H.:

- December 1903, had Atlin Studio of Photography in the Atlin Claim: Block on rou Street.
- December 1904, A. Carmichael was manager of the studio.




FORD:

- working at Bennett, 1898.




GOETZE, O. D.:

- ca. 1904, published the photo book Souvenir of North Western Alaska (San Francisco)




GOETZMAN, Henry J.:

- came across the Chilkoot 1897-1898.
- working in Dawson ca. 1898-1903.
- March 1901, published an 86-page Souvenir of the Klondike (Dawson: Goetzman, 1901) (YA: PAM 1901-13)
- July 26, 1901 Klondike Nugget [?]: "Wanted. Good, live solicitor; good money. Apply at Goetzman's."
: "Kodak tripods; $3.50 Goetzman's"
- photo of his (apparently new) dog sled high in the mountains (n.d.): PHO 38, f.3, #36
- got married while living in Dawson.
- 1906, photo #2971, interior of studio with props.
- September 26, 1905, moved to 10960 Howard Street, San Francisco.




GREER, Paul E.:

- August 2, 1899, The Klondike Nugget, "Paul E. Greer, representing the Depue Chronomatographe Co., of Chicago and New York, arrived in the city Monday, and this afternoon will take a panoramic view of Dawson from the deck of the Canadian with one of the machines manufactured by his company."




HAMACHER, Ephrim J.:

- born June 10, 1857 in Kitchener, Ontario.
- travelled extensively in the West, settled in Yakima in 1883 and set up a photography studio.
- April 1900, arrived in Whitehorse
- 1903, partner with Jerry Doody
- 1903, known for his playing of tin whistle at public functions.
- ca. 1906, published, with Bennett News Co. and Jerry Doody, A Yukon Souvenir.
- August 1906, builds a gasoline launch for his photography trips.
- October 5, 1906, Star: "Photographer E. J. Hamacher returned Sunday evening on the steamer White Horse from a professional trip along the river. He obtained some excellent views of the wreck of the steamer Columbian near Eagle Rock."
- known for his ability as curler and marksman.
- died in Whitehorse October 29, 1935; 79 years old. Buried at what is now called the Pioneer Cemetery in Whitehorse.




HARE, William S. (O?):

- had a shop at Wernecke Camp
- Mayo 1923 (Polk's)
- photo #6670 shows him in a canoe ca. 1923, with Mayo across the river.




HARMS, D. H.:

- working at Dawson 1903 (?) - photo by Harms at YA 82/20




HARRISON, Will:

- working in Dawson 1900




HEGG, Eric A.

- We have compiled a very detailed biography - see "Eric A. Hegg, pioneer Alaska-Yukon photographer."




HESTER, Robert M.:

- Dawson 1901 (Ferguson's Directory)




HIRSCHFELD, A. C.:

- April 1899, had photography shop in Atlin (on First Avenue near Discovery St.). Photo #954 shows building to have log bottom and canvas upper.
- 1899, photo #958 shows small frame studio.
- September 15, 1900 Atlin Claim: "A. C. Hirschfeld, who has just returned from Dawson, resumes the photographic business at his old stand on Pearl avenue. Mr. Hirschfeld's negatives were saved from the fire and he proposes to be ready for a start by Tuesday."
- bought Atlin Claim in December 1900
- December 1900, moved to First Avenue at Pearl St.
- January 5, 1901, Atlin Claim: "A Rare Opportunity: A. C. Hirschfeld is closing out his immense stock of photographs and photo supplies. Come early and secure a good selection of views, over one thousand negatives to choose from. No reasonable offer refused."
- March 1901, photo #949 shows the newspaper office on the left of a 1-storey frame bldg, Hirschfeld's photo studio on the right side. The building was to the left of the Bank of British North America.
- 1901, second editor of the Atlin Claim; sold it in May 1905.
- May 1902, Manager of Atlin Lake Lumber Co., Atlin
- June 18, 1902, The White Horse Star: "Editor Hirschfeld of the Atlin Claim was married in St. James church, Vancouver, on Tuesday, 10th, to Miss Marguerite Ethel Miller. The ceremony was performed by Rev. John Antle. After the ceremony Mr. and Mrs. Hirschfeld left for Victoria and from there started to San Francisco on a three weeks' honeymoon. They expect to be at home in Atlin early in July."




JOHNSON:

-February 26, 1917, Fairbanks, regarding the local Igloo of Pioneers: "The matter of securing photographs of members for the historian's record was brought up, and it was decided to have Johnson, the photographer, take the pictures. The price for four pictures will be $1. This must be paid by each member desiring a picture to Henry T. Ray, secretary of the igloo, who will issue a receipt for the same. This receipt, when presented to the photographer, will entitle the holder to the pictures. One of the photographs must be turned over to the historian for his record, the remaining three to be given to the member himself."




JOHNSTON, George:

-




KEIR, Ernest:

- born 1878
- from Vernon County, Wisconsin
- arrived in the Klondike in the spring of 1898 with brother Louis; set up photo studio in Dawson.
- left Dawson 1900
- YA, PHO 27 has 132 Keir prints.
- Vancouver Public Library, Historical Photographs has 18 Keir prints of Yukon subjects
- died 1941




KENNETT, Robert:

- Dawson 1901 (Ferguson's Directory)
- with wife Joyce




KERSHAW, G. S.:

- Dawson 1901 (Ferguson's Directory)




KILLAM:

- 1901, working in the Klondike




KINSEY, Clarence:

- from Snoqualmie, Washington
- photo of Clarence and Clark at Louisa Kinsey's boarding house, at YA, PHO O/S 10, 83/102 #3 Bohn collection.
- 1901-1904, Kinsey & Kinsey had studio at Grand Forks.
- mother Louisa lived with her sons 1901-1904.




KINSEY, Clark:

- from Snoqualmie, Washington.
- had studio in Snoqualmie with brother Darius.
- headed north in 1898.
- 1901-1904, Kinsey & Kinsey had studio at Grand Forks.
- mother Louisa lived with her sons 1901-1904.
- eventually photographed extensively for the West Coast Lumberman's Association.
- died in Seattle November 1956 (see Seattle Times Nov.30, p.47)




LANE, T. R.:

- working on Chilkoot Trail 1898, possibly with E. A. Hegg (he shot photo #1385 of Hegg's boat).
- photos #1387 (excellent) and 1388 show Lane in his canoe 1898.




LaROCHE, Frank:

- from Seattle.
- came to the Klondike in the summer of 1897.
- 1897, published the 58-page En Route to the Klondike, A Series of Photographic Views (Seattle: Henry O. Shepard Press, 1897) (YA: PAM 1897-31)




LARRS, Per Edward:

- worked his way north as a waiter on the "Utopia".
- got a job with E.A.Hegg on arrival in Skagway
- had friend P. B. Anderson build a boat for them at Lake Bennett; costing $1800, it was 18 feet long, with a 4 foot beam. It had a darkroom at the front end, and carried 4 tons. It was not large enough, however, and Hegg bought a smaller boat as well and paid Anderson to take it to Dawson. Larss, Hegg and Anderson left Lake Bennett on June 1, 1898, got to Dawson June 20.
- photo #878 shows the Hegg and Larss Photographers dog-sled team outside the North West House near Dawson, 1899.
- working in Dawson 1898-
- December 9, 1899, Dawson Daily News, "Special reductions for Christmas photos at Larss & Duclos, corner Third street and Third avenue. Successors to Hegg & Co."
- August 30, 1899, "Larss & Duclos this week had their photographic studio enclosed with boarding and tar paper, preparatory to the advent of winter." (KN)
- April 25, 1901, The Klondike Nugget, "Lars & Duclos are putting up a building on Third avenue, between Second and Third streets, and there area number of other buildings under construction."
- Larrs & Duclos had shop on First Avenue in Dawson in 1901 (Ferguson's Directory)
- see separate file: "The Photo Fiend of Dawson City ..." by Adelien Larson.




LOMEN Brothers:

- working in Nome 1913




McJURY, J. J.:

- working on Chilkoot Trail 1898




MARTIN, H. M.:

- May 22, 1900, Klondike Sun, "H.M.Martin, mining recorder, Ft. Selkirk's amateur photographer, is taking snap shots at everything worth taking and has a nice collection of pictures."




METCALF: Charles Horton:

- working in Dawson 1898




MISUMI:

- ca. 1914-1916, working as commercial photographer at Dawson; several photos in YA Faulkner collection, PHO 48, #82/400
- working in Dawson 1916 (photo #25, PHO 315, Knight coll.#90/31




MIZONY:

- working at Bennett 1900




MOOSBAUER, Louis:

- 1892, operating the Sitka View & Portrait Company in Sitka, with Reuben Albertstone.




MORRIS, Richard:

- April 1921, the expert photographer arrives in Skagway with writer-partner A. E. Nicholas. They and a team are going down the Yukon River to look for material for use in a book to be sold at the Portland fair.




MUIRHEAD, Lewis Potter Jr.:

- September 15, 1900 Atlin Claim: "Muirhead Bros. have bought out the Edina group of claims on Spruce, from McKay and partner, for the consideration of nearly $1000."
- working at Atlin and Conrad 1906




MUIRHEAD, Charles Hope:

- September 15, 1900 Atlin Claim: "Muirhead Bros. have bought out the Edina group of claims on Spruce, from McKay and partner, for the consideration of nearly $1000."
- working at Atlin and Conrad 1906




NOWELL, Frank H.:

- working at Nome 1904-1907
- made extensive record of Eskimos




PARTRIDGE, W. P.:

- 1886, has spent time in Juneau, and on July 10, arrived at Sitka.
- 1888, based in Portland; has an extensive collection of Alaskan prints for sale.




PASLEY, E.:

- in Dawson ca. 1922




PEDERSEN:

- The Pedersen Co. operating in Skagway in January 1918 (ad in The Daily Alaskan).




PILLSBURY, Arthur Clarence:

- in partnership with V. Cleveland.
- July 6, 1899, at Bennett for the driving of the last spike of the White Pass & Yukon Route railway (The Daily Alaskan, July 7).




POND, Percy:

- working with Lloyd Winter; set up Winter & Pond studio in Juneau 1893.
- see Images From the Inside Passage by Victoria Wyatt (UofW, 1989) (Ref 979.8 Wya); Guide to the Winter & Pond Collection, Alaska State Library and Archives (979.804 022 Gui)




READ, Lyman Cary:

- working in Atlin 1917
- June 29, 1917: "Prof L. C. Read, Atlin photographer, was in Whitehorse from Saturday until Monday, the guest of B. J. Hamacher, a friend of many years' standing. Prof. Read is well known here, having at one time been the leader of the Whitehorse brass band, which musical organization was in full flower a few years ago but is now among the things of the past." (The Weekly Star)
- September 27, 1918: "L. C. Read of Atlin, official photographer for the White Pass, arrived in Whitehorse on Saturday night. He is a guest of his old friend, E. J. Hamacher, and will remain until the fore part of next week, when he will return home, straighten out his affairs and leave for Southern California for the winter." (The Weekly Star)
- April 12, 1922: "L. C. Read, photographer, passed through Juneau on the Princess Mary en route to Atlin." (The Alaska Daily Empire, Juneau)




ROBERTSON, Lorenzo E. "Ren":

- 1902, had studio in Dawson at the corner of Second Ave and Ninth St. (Judge St.)
- 1902 Ferguson's had full-page ad with photo of Robertson.




SARVANT, Henry Mason:

Born: April 22, 1869, New York State
- in Fortymile 1901
- Dawson Road 1901, photo 1317.
- Sarvant was raised by his mother's sister, Mrs. Mason Weld, in Closter, New Jersey, and lived there until 1889, when he moved west to Steilacoom, Washington. He worked on the State of Washington Geological Survey Party on Mt. Rainier, and took hundreds of photographs of the area. His Mt. Rainier explorations were recognized by having a glacier on the northeast slopes of the mountain named after him.
    Sarvant went to the Yukon Territory during the gold rush, and successfully brought out enough gold to stake him in various business and farm activities for the rest of his life. A documentary series of photographs that he took in the Yukon is now held at the University of Washington Library.
    Henry Sarvant married Carrie Cobler after he returned from the Yukon Territory. They lived in Steilacoom for a time while he had business interests in Tacoma, and then lived out the remainder of their years on a fruit ranch in Yakima.
- Died: March 9, 1940, Yakima, Washington




SIMMER:

- in Nome 1905




SMYTHE, Sidney Alfred:

- October 28, 1899: "Mr. Smythe, photographer, received during the week from Rochester, N.Y., a handsome camera, the largest in the north, with reversible back. This fine instrument was ordered last March, and has been on the road ever since that time." (The Atlin Claim)




STRAND, Walter:

- in Atlin 1900-1905.




TABER, I. W.:

- 1889, based in San Francisco, shooting on Alaskan coast.




VAIL, E. M.:

- February 11, 1898: "Last Friday, Mr. E. M. Vail, of Marshalltown, Iowa, visited his sister, Mrs. R. H. G. Netz, of this city. Mr. Vail is interested in the Iowa Alaska Mining Co. He was on his way to the Alaskan gold fields when he stopped off to visit his sister a day." (The People's Press, Owatonna, Minnesota)
- December 24, 1898: "E. M. Vail, of Marshalltown, was in the city yesterday. He had with him a very fine collection of kodak pictures (182 views) he took while in Alaska last year." (Waterloo Daily Courier, Waterloo, Iowa)
- November 3, 1899: "E. M. Vail, F. A. Benjamin, W. H. Granville and A. M. Baker, a quartet of fortunate mining men from the Cape Nome district, are registered at the Russ, where they arrived yesterday morning from the steamer Portland." (The San Francisco Call)




VOGEE, Anton:

- July 4 1898, photo #111 shows his photo and paint store in Dyea.
- February 13 1899, photo #102 shows his photo and paint store in Dyea.
- 1900, photo #37 shows "Vogee's Photograph Gallery" in Dawson.
- 1900, photo #83 shows "Vogee's Signs. Paper Hanging and Painting" in Dawson on Princess St. east of Second Ave.
- 1900, photo #84 shows shop with woman and dog in front.
- rented space in Dawson 1906-1908




WAGNESS, John Thorvald:

- in Dawson 1899




WARD, L. B.:

- 1901, working in Nome (Ferguson's Directory)




WILSON, Veazie:

- 1897, published photos of his 1894 trip to Alaska and the Yukon as Glimpses of Alaska, Klondike and Gold fields (Oriental Library, October 1897) (YA: PAM 1897-66 and 1897-67)




WINTER:

- 1887, based in Eugene City, Oregon; spent 5 months in Southeast Alaska.




WINTER, Lloyd V.:

- 1893, with Percy Pond, sets up Winter & Pond studio in Juneau.
- January 1901, Winter is working for the WP&YR, taking photos of all of their holdings in the Territory for the Annual Report.
- see Images From the Inside Passage by Victoria Wyatt (UofW, 1989) (Ref 979.8 Wya); Guide to the Winter & Pond Collection, Alaska State Library and Archives (979.804 022 Gui)




WOLFE, Frank E.:

- working in Dawson 1906.
- photo #3791 shows studio on First Ave. (n.d.)




WOODSIDE: H. J.:

- working in Dawson from June 1900 until September 1904
- 1902, photo #525 shows his small frame house in Dawson at 707 Church St.







NOTES:

Photo 4805 - a camera club outing from Skagway, 1900

In mid-winter 1897-98, Dyea had 5 photographers working (NPS)

Photos at YA of photographers - 196, 2114 (Hegg), 4246 (Metcalf), 6670 (Hare), 6795, 7282, 8659, 9260

Tidd wrote article on Arctic photography - MSS 61 77/19

Photo 82/20 probably by D.H. Harms, 1903

National Archives of Canada has 20,000 Klondike photos, 2nd only to WWII
- George Dawson took 10 photos in 1887, many of Indians and camps
- McArthur collection has photos of Skagway site in 1893
- William Ogilvie has 150 private photos at NAC
- Woodside has 2,800 images at NAC

By 1897, technology had improved to allow underground and indoor shots, something not available for caribou Gold Rush

E. A. Hegg's most commonly reproduced photo is "The Belgian Mare." Such photos comprise only a tiny percentage of his work.