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Grace Carr Raymenton photographs

Guide to the Grace Carr Raymenton photographs
circa 1899-1902

Collection number: HMC-1059.
Creators:
Raymenton, Grace Carr, d. 1970.
Cantwell, George Gordon, 1871-1948.
Dobbs, B. B. (Beverly Bennett).
Title: Grace Carr Raymenton photographs.
Dates: circa 1899-1902
Volume of collection: 0.02 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Collection materials are in English.
Collection summary: Photographs of the Yukon and Alaska collected and taken by a woman who lived in Dawson City during the Klondike gold rush.

Biographical note:
Grace Carr Raymenton was born in Massachusetts circa 1877 and came to the Yukon Territory in 1899, where she lived with family members in Dawson City and worked as a stenographer.  Her friends in Dawson included the photographer George Gordon Cantwell (1871-1948), and his business partner, Frederic N. Atwood; the pair operated the photography studio Cantwell and Atwood there from 1899-1901.  During this time, Grace also had family in Nome, Alaska whom she visited periodically.  Sometime between 1901-1904, she left the Yukon and married Dr. William Hewstone Raymenton (1852-1937) of Worcestor, Massachusetts.  The pair later lived in La Jolla and Lakeside, California.  Grace reconnected with Cantwell in the late 1930s, when the photographer worked as a taxidermist for the Los Angeles County Museum.  Grace Carr Raymenton died in Los Angeles, California in 1970.

Collection description:
This collection contains photographs taken and collected by Grace Carr Raymenton that depict her time living in the Yukon Territory, circa 1899-1902.  Subjects include views of Dawson, settlements on the Klondike River, Sitka, and Nome, Alaska as well as portraits of Sami and Alaska Natives in Nome and Moosehide, Yukon Territory, mining and miners in the Yukon, steamships, and Grace’s friends and family in Dawson and Nome.  The collection also includes a photograph of Thomas Riggs (1873-1945), who later served as the ninth territorial governor of Alaska from 1916-1921.  Most of the photographs in the collection were likely taken by Raymenton, but there are also some images taken by George Gordon Cantwell (1871-1948) of Dawson, and he is also depicted in the photos, along with his business partner, Frederic N. Atwood.  There are also two photographs of Alaska Natives in Nome that were taken by Beverly Bennett Dobbs (1868-1937), who had a photography studio there from circa 1903-1912.  Most of the photographs bear annotations in Raymenton’s hand and date from circa 1938.

Digitized copies: Selected photographs in this collection have been digitized and are available online in Alaska’s Digital Archives. For information about obtaining digital copies, contact Archives and Special Collections.

Rights note: Archives does not hold copyright to the George Gordon Cantwell and Beverly Bennett Dobbs photographs in this collection.

Preferred citation: Grace Carr Raymenton photographs, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.

Custodial history: After Grace Carr Raymenton’s death in 1970, her photograph collection was passed on to her step-son, Hewstone Knight Raymenton.  Mr. Raymenton died in 1972 and left his estate to a family friend, Henry Miller, who in turn passed the photographs on to James Sturgeon.  After Sturgeon’s death, the photographs came into the custody of his son, Michael Sturgeon.

Acquisition note: This collection was donated to the Archives by Michael Sturgeon in the name of James Sturgeon in 2010.  Additions to the collection were added in 2012.

Processing information: This collection was described by Megan K. Friedel in 2010 and revised in 2012.  More detailed information regarding the provenance of this collection is located in the processing files at the Archives.

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