I like the idea of taking tours on weekends, either in person or by armchair traveling. So for today, I felt it would be nice to share this series of images from Alaska that I discovered recently. A decent collection of Kodachromes taken between 1953 and 1963, with most featuring some neat cars.
Of course, the lede photo from June ’63 was the one that got most of my attention. A VW Type 34 with Alaska license plates? In case you need reminding, the Type 34 is a fairly rare VW model built by Karmann between 1961-1969. It basically uses the Type 3’s floorplan and drivetrain, and VW’s ‘pancake’ 1500 engine. All wrapped in unique styling.
Never a firestorm seller, the car was never sold in US territory, but some gray imports were brought in from Canada.
A Pontiac, at the Taylor Highway in 1953.
4th Ave. Anchorage, mid-50s.
A ’54 Mercury, circa 1955.
Cordova, 1955.
Fairbanks train station, 1955.
Anchorage, circa 1965.
Bottom photo:
I spy two Corvairs on the far side of the street. One in front of the Woolworth and the other in front of the show. Maybe air cooled engines were an advantage in the deep cold. Looks like the Rambler wagon pulled a trailer with the slash guard hanging from the rear bumper.
Found the movie house in the bottom photo based on the name of the avenue mentioned in the 3rd photo and the “Fur Rendezvous” signs in both photos:
https://www.google.com/maps/@61.2185586,-149.8947998,3a,75y,109.71h,90.22t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1skU7TNOE1oKvotTcOdgiymA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu
I would image most items moved to the suburbs or multiscreen theaters in the malls as time progressed.
And here’s a picture of the Fur Rendezvous dog sled races going down the same street, also during the 1960s:
A VW of any variety is the last car I would have wanted in Alaska.
I had a Type 34 VW and a Corvair Monza. Both would start at -20F and both were better in the snow and ice than front engine RWD. The Corvair would spin out when pushed which was fun but tricky. Wish I hadn’t wrecked it. My brother put a gas heater for the cab in his VW and it would get hot fast.
OMG – What a sky!
So many hues of blue. The mountains in the distance remind me of The Great Wave off Kanagawa. Oh, and yes all those curvaceous steel sculptures roaming the streets, even covered in grime they cannot hide their beauty.
I like the giant mudflap on the back of the AMC wagon – a sure sign that your near some pretty rough country.
My sister has lived in Anchorage since about 1965. I sent here the two Anchorage shots and she made this comment to me:
What is particularly interesting is that one is taken before the big earthquake in 1964 and the other after. The whole block in the ’55 photo starting with the red Hewitts Drugs sign and going towards the mountains (east) was completely destroyed and slid down the hill.
Travelled extensively through Alaska about five years ago. Took the Dalton Highway as far north as Coldfoot. Two lanes, mud, gravel and huge semis hauling material up to the Prudhoe oil fields. Scenery and nature beyond description. Nothing quite like it anywhere else. It truly is The Last Frontier, although Anchorage is a fairly cosmopolitan city.
Most local vehicles seemed to be either pickup trucks or Subarus.
“Most local vehicles seemed to be either pickup trucks or Subarus.’
Decades ago before AWD or 4WD became somewhat common, I wonder how the rear wheel vehicles made out with all of the snow. The rear engine Volkswagen in the first photo probably had an advantage over the typical vehicle of the time.
Nice photos, thanks for sharing them .
-Nate