Title:
Glaciers, Wildlife, and Coast - Alaska
REEL ID:
L018R007
RUN TIME:
0:08:09
FORMAT:
16mm motion picture film
FILM TYPE:
Color Kodak Kodachrome
SOUND:
Silent (no synchronized sound)
Description:
This striking travel reel documents wildlife encounters, glacier landscapes, and coastal exploration across Alaska, blending rugged outdoor adventure with moments of everyday camp life. Shot on color film, the footage captures the scale and variety of Alaska’s terrain—from mountain valleys and ice fields to fishing harbors and city streets.
The film opens in the high country with a moose standing at the edge of a mountain lake, followed by snowy alpine scenes and deer running freely through open valleys. Additional views show moose grazing in meadowland, reinforcing the presence of large wildlife within expansive, undeveloped landscapes. A title card or roadside sign identifies Valdez as “The Switzerland of Alaska,” situating the journey within one of the state’s most dramatic mountain regions.
Water and ice dominate much of the reel. Fishermen haul fish from rivers and lakes using nets, while camp scenes show fresh catches being cooked on a Coleman camp stove. Horsetail Falls and Bridal Veil Falls cascade down steep rock faces near Thompson Pass, leading to wide views from the Worthington Glacier viewpoint. A sign reading “Free Ice” appears near the glacier, as travelers collect ice and play on the snowfields—sliding down the glacier and engaging in a playful snowball fight.
Glacier scenes continue with ice meeting open water, emphasizing Alaska’s dynamic coastline. A man draws drinking water from a cold mountain stream, while elsewhere another man fishes from a small boat. Coastal activity appears at Land’s End, where people collect crabs along the shoreline, adding a working-harbor element to the journey.
The reel widens to civic life with scenes from downtown Anchorage, before returning to camp routines—meals prepared on a Coleman cook stove and quiet moments surrounded by native plants, including Alaska cotton in bloom. One ceremonial sequence shows men raising an American flag on a flagpole, grounding the travel footage in national symbolism amid the wilderness setting.
Together, these scenes preserve a vivid record of Alaska travel—balancing wildlife observation, glacier exploration, fishing, and daily camp life against some of the state’s most iconic landscapes.
Tags:
Alaska, Valdez Alaska, Anchorage Alaska, Thompson Pass, Worthington Glacier, Horsetail Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, 16mm film, Color home movies, Wildlife, Moose, Deer, Mountain lake, Snowy mountains, Meadow, Fishing, Fish net, Camp cooking, Coleman cook stove, Glaciers, Glacier water, Free Ice sign, Mountain stream, Fishing boat, Coastal life, Crab collecting, Land’s End, American flag, Downtown Anchorage, Alaska cotton, Wilderness travel, Outdoor adventure, Vintage travel footage, Analog film, Nostalgic footage