Arthur C. Pillsbury Collection
See photographs of the Klondike Gold Rush, California, Oregon and Washington taken by Arthur C. Pillsbury (1870-1946) between about 1896 and 1900.
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Marble statues
Frank Asakichi Kunishige was born in Japan on June 5, 1878. He came to the United States via San Francisco in 1895. After graduating from the Illinois College of Photography, he opened a small photography studio in San Francisco. Kunishige moved to Seattle in 1917. In the same year, he married Gin Kunishige and began working in the studio of Edward S. Curtis where he became acquainted with Ella McBride who he worked for in later years. Kunishige was well known for his use of Pictorialism, a popular painterly style of photography. He developed his photographs on "textura tissue," a paper of his own creation, which allowed him to produce almost dreamlike prints. His work was featured nationally and internationally in exhibitions and publications such as Photo-Era and Seattle's Town Crier. In 1924, Kunishige became one of the founding members of the Seattle Camera Club, a group of local photographers including Kyo Koike, Yukio Morinaga, Iwao Matsushita and Fred Y. Ogasawara who gathered to share techniques and ideas, as well as their deep love of the medium. Although the group was initially solely Japanese, they soon welcomed more members including Ella McBride, their first female member. When World War II struck and the country's Japanese internment policy was put in place, Kunishige and his wife were forced to leave Seattle for Idaho where they were interned at the Minidoka camp. After their release, Kunishige spent two years working at a photography studio in Twin Falls, Idaho but eventually returned to Seattle due to his poor health. Frank Kunishige passed away on April 9, 1960.
Identifier: spl_art_367924_19
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Gold nugget from near Anvil Creek, Alaska, ca. 1899
Gold was first discovered at Anvil Creek in 1898 leading to a large rush in prospectors who traveled through nearby Nome, Alaska to reach the gold fields. The value for the gold, provided at $320 in 1899?would be worth $9,891.89 in 2019 dollars.
Identifier: spl_ap_00168
Date: 1899
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Aerial view of Skagway, Alaska, ca. 1899
View of Skagway, Alaska looking SW towards the Chilkoot Inlet. The White Pass and Yukon Railway roundhouse can be seen at the lower right and many tents and other homes can be seen in the distance. During the Klondike Gold Rush, the White Pass was one of the routes used by prospectors to travel from Skagway to the Yukon gold fields. In April 1898 the White Pass and Yukon Railroad Company was formed in an effort to establish an easier way through the pass. Construction on the railroad began the following month. Thousands of workers worked around the clock in treacherous conditions to complete the project. The railroad track was completed at White Pass on February 20, 1899 and reached Lake Bennett on July 6, 1899. The final spike on the railroad was placed on July 29, 1900 in Carcross, B.C.
Identifier: spl_ap_00041
Date: 1899
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Haines, Alaska and Portage Cove looking SE, ca. 1899
Identifier: spl_ap_00137
Date: 1899
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White Pass and Yukon Railway tracks and mountain view, ca. 1899
During the Klondike Gold Rush, the White Pass was one of the routes used by prospectors to travel from Skagway to the Yukon gold fields. In April 1898 the White Pass and Yukon Railroad Company was formed in an effort to establish an easier way through the pass. Construction on the railroad began the following month. Thousands of workers worked around the clock in treacherous conditions to complete the project. The railroad track was completed at White Pass on February 20, 1899 and reached Lake Bennett on July 6, 1899. The final spike on the railroad was placed on July 29, 1900 in Carcross, B.C.
Identifier: spl_ap_00141
Date: 1899
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12 Mile House on Fantail Trail, British Columbia, ca. 1899
The Fantail Trail was a route between Log Cabin and Atlin, British Columbia used primarily used in winter when prospectors were unable to travel via steamboat. A gold rush at Atlin began in August 1898 and lasted through 1900.
Identifier: spl_ap_00047
Date: 1899
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Men and log cabins at Stewart City, Yukon, ca. 1899
Stewart City served as a trading post for prospectors traveling on steamships along the Yukon River.
Identifier: spl_ap_00182
Date: 1899
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Denny Regrade, ca. 1906
Regrade debris in front of dwellings at unidentified location.
Identifier: spl_dr_022
Date: 1906
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Wave at Sun Rise Falls on Skykomish River, ca. 1900
Identifier: spl_ap_00152
Date: 1900
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Prospectors' camp, ca. 1899
The location of the camp is unknown. It is likely in Alaska or British Columbia. Signs in the photo include "Restaurant," "U.S. Hotel," "U.S. Hotel Bunk House," "Bakery & Restaurant," "Boundary Hotel, A.O. Palm, Prop.," "Hotel and Restaurant." A sled on the lower right belongs to the Dalton Transportation Co. Several men, horses and tents are visible in the photograph. A bicycle is propped up on one of the tents at the lower right.
Identifier: spl_ap_00139
Date: 1899
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