The Alaska daily empire., 1920-06-05
SOCIETY IS TO
ESTABLISH BIG
ALASKA MUSEUM
Thousands of Alaska Curios
To Be Exhibited; Eskimo
Collection Feature

Under the auspices of the Alaska
| Historical Society there is soon to be
/ opened in this city a museum con
/ tanning many thousands of interest
ing articles and curios from all
! parts of Alaska and covering the Ter.
ritory from the earliest date of set
| Element Articles Of Incorporation are
/ being prepared by the society and
will be filed with the Territorial Sec.
rotary within. a short time The. in.
corporators are Gov Thomas Riggs,
Jr., DR.. Daniel S. Neuman and Rev.
A. p. Kashevaroff
Several thousand articles that will
be placed on display are now stored
away in boxes at the Governors
office. Many. others are in Washing
ton, d. c., being those put on display
at the Worlds Fair in st. Louis in
1905, and which have been stored in
Washington since that time. Others
are stored at Sitka and will be
brought here in the near future 1t
is the purpose of the society to aid in
the preservation of places of interest
in all parts of the Territory, one
such being Chief Shakes old com
munity house at Wrangell Contri-
buttons in the form of exhibits for
the museum will be sought all over
Alaska, due credit to he given to
the donor of each article.
Eskimo Collection Uniuue
What is considered one of the most
complete and unique collections of
as well as one of the most valuable
Eskimo curios and historical relics
is being arranged for exhibition in
the museum. 1t is the property of
Dr. Daniel S. Neuman who is lending
it to the Society.
DR.. Neumar was in the North
for period OF ten years securing
the articles forming the exhibit He
made a close study of the life and
customs of the Eskimo people and the
collection is of the highest value
for its presentation of them. Ancient
relics and modern curios intermingle
in 1t. There are weapons of various
kinds, wearing apparel, false faces,
busts of national heroes, men of
letters and note among the races
Native copper is shown beaten into
implements of industry and warfare.
There are many articles of feminine
adornment indicative of the univer-
salty of the sisterhood of "The Col
onefs Lady and Julia O'Grady"
Carved wooden masks having eyes
of solid gold made from nuggets
roughly cut and Inserted by the mar
ers. Pictorial accounts of legendary
deeds and exploits of traditional tri-
bal leaders form an interesting sec,
ton of the exhibit.
Rivals Smithsonian Exhibit
Men who have made life study
of the Eskimo tribes have, praised
DR. Neuman's collection in highest
terms. Authorities at the Smithson-
ian Institute in Washington PRO
nounce it the most complete in exist
ence with the single exception of the
Smithsonian exhibit which was col
lected at a cost of many thousands
of dollars and by number of agents
covering a period of thirty years. In
making it, DIR. Neuman covered the
entire Seward Peninsula, the Arctic
Coast, and Coronation Gulf where the
blond Eskimo tribe discovered by
Explorer Stefansson is located. The
exhibit secured from that people is
complete in every detail.
Open BY July 4
Work on the museum is being
FASTENED and Gov. Riggs and Dr..
Neuman have promised to have it
open for public inspection by July a.
The four balconies in the A. b.
Building are being used for the ex-
hibit which will be in charge of
Rev. A. p Kasheyaroff Glass exhibit
cases and other fixtures are now
being constructed and put into place
nv r A. Eikland