GALLERY
World-famous photographer Eadweard Muybridge visited Kaach.xan’akw in 1868, around the time the U.S. Army arrived to construct Fort Wrangel. His stereoscopic photos show two images, taken side by side. Seen through a viewfinder, the images appear 3D. Another way to appreciate the stereoscopic effect is to quickly flip between the two versions. This technique would evolve into motion pictures, invented by none other than Eadweard Muybridge. Here are three Muybridge photos turned into animated GIFs.
Read this KSTK News article from 2019 about Eadward Muybridge’s 1868 visit to Kaach.xan.a’kw.
1920s under Snow
The original of this photo contained a large tree in the way, a long with some photo damage. I restored this image, and it’s really one of my favorites. The breakwater at the end of Shustack’s Point was built in 1924, so we know this photo was shortly before that.
Harbor at Low Tide
This photo is also from the 1920s. This photo is part of a set of images taken by the US Department of Defense in the early 1920s.
Wrangell After the 1952 Fire
This image (originally two photos) was snapped after the 1952 leveled Wrangell’s waterfront. I retouched this photo slightly, if only to reduce the smoke a little bit in order to see the buildings.