NHL Photo

Contest

Alaska's National Historic Landmarks Annual Photo Contest

This year’s Alaska contest winners highlight the diversity of Alaska’s National Historic Landmarks (NHL) from the former glory days of the copper extracting Kennecott Mines operation, to the oldest recorded prehistoric site found on the Katmai coastine within the Amalik Bay Archeological District, to a remote World War II outpost within the Dutch Harbor Naval Operating Base in the Aleutians.

Alaska’s top three photo contest winners are entered in the National NHL contest. National Park Service employees, nationwide, will vote for their favorite photos in early September.

Winners of the 2005 Alaska Regional NHL photo contest are:

1st Place Winner - 2005

Amalik Bay Archeological District NHL
Archeologists camped out over-looking Takli Island Amalik Bay, in Katmai National Park and Preserve
Photographer: Jeanne Schaaf

Alaska’s newest designated NHL includes 28 prehistoric sites clustered in an 8,300-acre wilderness area of islands and coastal waters in Katmai National Park and Preserve. The Amalik Bay district preserves evidence of almost 8,000 years of human occupation in southwest Alaska, and includes the oldest recorded site along the Katmai coastline. Amalik Bay was a gateway for the widespread exchange of ideas and technological innovations, including ground-slate tools and Norton-style pottery, hallmarks in the development of coastal Eskimo economies across the far northern reaches of the continent.

2nd Place Winner - 2005

Kennecott Mines NHL
Machine parts (pulleys, sheaves, flywheels) under the Machine Shop used during the early mill operations.
Photographer: Bill Heubner

One of the largest copper mines in the nation, Kennecott contained some of the country’s highest-grade ore deposits. Still remaining at the foot of Bonanza Ridge is a phenomenal industrial complex, little changed since it closed in 1938. Representative of mining processes of the era, the camp contains the powerhouse, tramway station, bunkhouses, and commissary, all dominated by a 14-story concentration mill.

For more information about the NHL, please visit the park website at: http://www.nps.gov/wrst/kennecott.htm

3rd Place Winner - 2005

Kennecott Mines NHL
North wall of the Kennecott mill and concentrator building.
Photographer: Karen Battle.

One of the largest copper mines in the nation, Kennecott contained some of the country’s highest-grade ore deposits. Still remaining at the foot of Bonanza Ridge is a phenomenal industrial complex, little changed since it closed in 1938. Representative of mining processes of the era, the camp contains the powerhouse, tramway station, bunkhouses, and commissary, all dominated by a 14-story concentration mill. The world’s first successful ammonia-leaching plant, greatly increasing the amount of recoverable copper ore, went into operation here in 1916.

For more information about the NHL, please visit the park website at: http://www.nps.gov/wrst/kennecott.htm

Honorable Mentioned - 2005

Dutch Harbor Naval Operating Base and Fort Mears, US Army NHL
WWII Battery command station within Fort Schwatka on Mount Ballyhoo on Amaknak Island with the Bering Sea in the background.
Photographer: Paula Sutton

This complex was the farthest west of the navy's Alaska bases when the Japanese attacked the Aleutians in 1942. It was bombed for two days in the most serious air attack on North American territory during World War II. These bases were an important part of coastal defenses throughout the war. Today, the Dutch Harbor NHL is part of the Aleutian World War II National Historic Area, an Affiliated Area of the National Park Service.

For more information visit the Aleutian World War II National Historic Area website at http://www.nps.gov/aleu/

Honorable Mentioned - 2005

Kennecott Mines NHL

Looking out the power plant (1924) windows at the cottages.
Photographer: James Cody Birkey

One of the largest copper mines in the nation, Kennecott contained some of the country’s highest-grade ore deposits. Still remaining at the foot of Bonanza Ridge is a phenomenal industrial complex, little changed since it closed in 1938. Representative of mining processes of the era, the camp contains the powerhouse, tramway station, bunkhouses, and commissary, all dominated by a 14-story concentration mill.

For more information about the NHL, please visit the park website at: http://www.nps.gov/wrst/kennecott.htm

Entry Form and image DUE by July 1, 2005

Contest rules and applications can be found at the following sites:

2005 NHL Photo Contest Rules (PDF)

2005 NHL Photo Contest Entry Form (PDF)