The Cordova daily times., 1922-11-14
ALASKA MUSEUM GREAT ASSET
 TO ALASKA

The AlaSKd tlStOrlcdl iASSOClaLlOn wants your name, and your dollar How many of the people of Cor
 dova and vicinity will sign up. The
 associate membership badges are
 ready, they cost One Dollar Will you help the association by becom-
 ing member? The descriptive book
 let on the Alaska Historical Mu-
 seum gives this information: "The
 institution known as the Alaska His
 toricaI Library and Museum was
 created by an act of Congress June 6, 1900. Prior to that date only
 small collection of articles of native
 origin and about 1900 volumes of
 books of historical nature were ac- quired and kept at the executive of flee. Under this act the money for acquiring new books for the library and suitable collection of native work for the museum was derived from the fees paid in to the Secre- tary of the Territory for certificates issued to the members of the Alaska Bar and for commissions issued to
 notaries public. No provision was
 made for the proper housing and dis play of the specimens nor for the care of the books in the library. New specimens were acquired from time to time, carefully packed and stored until such time as a suitable building could be procured.
 "In August, 1910, seventy one very
 rare baskets from the North Interior tribes of British Columbia were add ed to the collection, and in July, 1911, nine hundred sixty four pieces of Eskimo antiquities were acquired. All were carefully packed and stored away Rare Thlinget and Aleutian
 baskets together with the Eskimo I work in the same line were added from time to time.
 'In the spring of 1920, Dr. Dan 1 iel s. Neuman, late of the U. S. { Bureau of Education at Nome, came I to Juneau, bringing his very rare
 collection of Eskimo antiquities. Dr.. Neuman spent ten years in the Far 1 North, where he had an excellent
 opportunity for the study of the
 Eskimo life and tkeir aboriginal
 work. His collection fully illustrates
 the life, cutoms, habits, art, social
 regulations, beliefs and ceremonies
 of these Northern people. He gath ! cred his specimens with care and
 completeness, having in mind the his- torical and scientific data, which he procured with every piece. This col lection is said to be one of the most complete of it's kind in the United States. rf~
 Governor Riggs, realizing the i'm
 portance of having such a collection in the Territory, immediately put forth every effort to have this col
 lection part of the Territorial ex- hibit. A quarter of the collection was at once purchased from Dr. Neuman and the remaining portion was kindly loaned to the Territory. It was entirely due to the Govern or's initiative and under his person al direction that the museum was opened and the rare specimens put on display for the benefit of the general public. In order to facilitate the interest in the public of the Territory and to continue in acquir- ing new specimens, an Historical Association was formed. Many prom
 inent citizens and public spirited
 men and women all over Alaska pledged their support for this great work. The association is doing sat isfactory work in a quiet way and the results obtained in the short time the Association has been in existence, can be seen in the many
 new specimens and the valuable
 historical data procured. In the
 session of 1921 the Alaska Legisla- ture appropriated sufficient sum
 of money to purchase the remaining portion of Dr. Neuman's collection.
 "On September g, 1921, the Alaska
 Historical Museum was opened to the public and since that date 1t has grown in importance and size. The
 management is living in hopes of
 securing concrete building where these valuable specimens can be housed and kept in safety"