Alaska - Expo Saint-Louis 1904

Alaska has a group of buildings, southwest of the administration building.
Fifty thousand dollars were appropriated by Congress for these buildings and exhibits. The main structure, at 100 feet long, 50 feet deep and two stories high, is in the style of colonial architecture, and is flanked on each side by native houses, surrounded by huge totem poles. Some of these were carved by the Aborigines many years ago, while others have been recently worked and decorated by indigenous artists brought here for that purpose. This unique collection (the first ever to grace foreign soil) was achieved through the influence of Governor John Brady G., who prevailed upon the natives to donate these prized ancestral monuments to enhance the appeal of the Alaska exhibit.
At the feet of the giant totem poles are wildflowers dotted with bushes and forest trees native to the country, while the huts themselves are filled with the works of the natives, including costumes, utensils, ornaments and trinkets of all kinds.

Among the most important pieces is a large collection of minerals, gold, quartz, silver, copper, tin, lead and iron. Marble, coal and oil are also on display, and the fur and fish exhibits are exceptionally comprehensive. Cereals and grasses, vegetables and berries illustrate Alaska's productivity, and a variety of woods are featured in the forestry collection.
There is also an educational exhibit on the work of public school students and government schools: a collection on women's work, and an art gallery filled with paintings by Alaskan artists.

The rooms are decorated with paintings and photographs, interspersed with deer, caribou heads, and a beautiful collection of birds and flowers.