The Anchorage Museum collection highlights the environment, people and cultures of the Circumpolar North. The collection has grown since the Museum’s founding in 1968 to span over 26,000 objects and over 700,000 photographs and archives. The collection serves as a focal point for honoring the stories and legacies of these works for the public and for future generations—connecting people, building relationships and common understanding.
The Museum's collections can be divided into four areas, all concentrating on Alaska and the Circumpolar North: historical photographs; art; cultural and historical heritage items; and library resources.
The historical photographs consist of images from the late 19th century through the recent past. The art collection represents a survey of visual arts in Alaska from the 18th century to the present, with important work by Alaska artists and a strong collection of contemporary Alaska Native art. The largest component of the material culture collections are objects of daily life of Athabascan, Inupiaq, Yup’ik, St. Lawrence Island Yupik, Sugpiaq, Unangan, Tlingit, Tsimshian, and Haida peoples. The Museum's historical object collection represents a survey of state and local history from the Russian-American period to the present. The library resources includes books, maps, auction catalogs, periodicals, Alaska Artist files, and subject vertical files that include a variety of ephemera related to Alaska
VISION
The growth of the collection is focused on material culture and works that help tell the story of the environment, people and cultures of Alaska and the Circumpolar North, and that will inform conversations and ideas about the North and its future.
ACCESS, STEWARDSHIP AND PUBLIC TRUST
The Anchorage Museum stewards the collection, centering focus on access and preservation for the public. Research and access are encouraged and welcome. We are happy to host visitors, researchers, artists, scientists and interested members of the public to view the collections, and to contact us with inquiries and questions.
TERMINOLOGY AND SPELLING
The Anchorage Museum uses currently accepted terms for Alaska’s Indigenous culture groups. Recognizing that culture is not static and respecting that there are regional and generational variations in spelling and preferred terms, the Museum strives to be inclusive of self-identification. As such, terminology and spelling within Anchorage Museum text may vary due to preferred independent standards.
QUESTIONS
For questions about the Museum's collection, feel free to call (907) 929-9235 or email resourcecenter@anchoragemuseum.org.
Browse the Collections
Search a selection of the Museum’s art, heritage items, archives, and library collections. Some materials are available online, while others are available for detailed research on site.
Access & Research
Information, advice and additional resources for conducting research in the Museum’s Collections.
Acquisitions Committee
The Anchorage Museum has a rolling, open call for members of the public to participate in the Museum’s Acquisitions Committee.
Rights & Reproductions
The Anchorage Museum can provide print and digital image files of works from the museum's collection on request.
