The following photos were taken in 1957 and 1958 by Dad. He had a cheap camera, and some Kodachrome slide film. With zero expertise but a sarcastic and witty future son who would spend uncounted countless hours restoring these photos and spending hundreds of dollars on a slide scanner that he would only use 80ish times and for naught but the admiration of anyone who should chance visit this page, Ron (Dad) managed to produce some pretty incredible photos.
Enjoy Alaska, as seen through the eyes of a 20-something Airman in the United States Air Force. Or rather, as seen through a camera lens….
01 Looking Toward site Radome
According to Dad, in Alaska in 1957, there wasn’t a whole lot to do. So he’d walk, and take pictures.
02 Winter Scene of Tundra
03 Ron in parka WINTER 1957
This photo of a fishing boat in dry dock is iconic. It was one of the first photos I saw in this collection. It’s starling blues and browns really demonstrate the durability of the slide medium, over time. It makes me want to get all my digital photos printed as Kodachrome slides. Dad said it was probably a salmon fishing boat, and that when he took this photo, the salmon wouldn’t have been running yet.
04 Fishing boat in dry dock SPRING
06 River Naknek WINTER
07 RIVER Naknek Loading dock – winter
The hangar in this next photo is the black building to the left. The basketball court was in the hanger, sometimes had to push airplane off court to play – Mt Denali is in background.
08 hanger
09 Hangar WINTER, Mt. Denali, 1957
In this next photo, the area here had been cleaned up. Previously it had been a trash dump
10 hangar, tundra
11 Spring Sunset
12 Winter Sunset from Radar site – the road was ice – special tires on trucks, motor pool took airmen around to activities
13 Winter view from room
26 Chief Reynolds – Northern Consolidated Airlines
29_ aircraft control and warning
43 little plane – officer took for a joy ride, was doing touch and goes on the river
52 Cummins, Baggs, Dick Franklion
56 thompson, second from left
59 Al Crandell From California – basketball
61 ALmondor tugach mountains
53 Tsgt Brown
73. grant’s landing
79 secretary of defense mcElroy