Login My List - 0 Help
	Search   Search Images   About

Keyword Browse Combined Highlights Search History All Catalogs

Search:  Artist BrowseTitle BrowseSubject BrowseObject Type Browse Owner Browse       Refine Search     > You are only searching: Art Inventories

More Smithsonian Searches     Who else has...     Unknown,     Allegory -- Place     Ethnic -- Indian     Animal -- Fox     Animal -- Walrus     Animal -- Insect     Fantasy -- Monster     Fantasy -- Animal     Allegory -- Element     Object -- Weapon     Architecture -- Vehicle     Totem pole     Outdoor Sculpture -- Alaska -- Adak     Sculpture

The Adak Totem, (sculpture). Artist:  Unknown, sculptor. Title:  The Adak Totem, (sculpture). Dates:  Dedicated Sept. 8, 1951. Medium:  Totem: wood, carved and metal (?), painted; Base: concrete. Dimensions:  Totem: approx. 15 x 1 x 1 ft.; Base: approx. 4 x 3 x 3 ft. Inscription:  (Bronze plaque on front of base:) The Adak Totem/This totem is the story of Adak. The bottom/figure is a monster from prehistoric/times when the Aleutians probably were a land bridge to/Asia. The walrus symbolizes the sea life from which the/Aleuts obtained food clothing and tools./The two-headed emperor Goose repres-/ents the era when Imperial Russia ruled and/exploited Alaska. The blue fox is character-/istic of the time when only hunters and fisher-/men visited the island. Next is Williwaw, the/Wind Devil, whose actions have plagued ev-/ery inhabitant. The airplane represents the/Armed Forces in Adak today./Totem presented to the Naval Station by/the personnel of contract NO13913 Sept. 8, 1951/Engraved by Ship Repair Unit. (Plaque on rear of base gives information concerning the U.S. Naval Station at Adak, including longitude and latitude, elevation, annual rainfall, mean temperatures and distances from several locations) ENGRAVED BY SHIP REPAIR UNIT unsigned Description:  Carved totem featuring from bottom to top: a prehistoric monster, a walrus, a two-headed emperor goose, a blue fox, Williwaw (the wind Devil), and an airplane with a face. The totem is topped with a yellow bee (possibly metal) holding a machine gun. Subject:  Allegory -- Place -- Adak Ethnic -- Indian -- Aleut Animal -- Fox Animal -- Walrus Animal -- Insect -- Bee Fantasy -- Monster Fantasy -- Animal -- Bird Allegory -- Element -- Air Object -- Weapon -- Gun Architecture -- Vehicle -- Airplane Object Type:  Totem pole Outdoor Sculpture -- Alaska -- Adak Sculpture Owner:  NAF, Kulak Gym, in front of, Adak, Alaska Remarks:  Totem presented to the Naval Station by the personnel of Contract No. 13913. The totem was formerly located at a traffic circle elsewhere on the island. IAS files contain the full transcription of the plaque on the rear of the base. References:  Save Outdoor Sculpture, Alaska survey, 1994. Illustration:  Image on file. Note:  The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide. Repository:  Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 970, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012 Control Number:  IAS AK000054   Copy/Holding information Smithsonian AmericanArt Museum Control Number   Inventory of American Sculpture AK000054 Add Copy to MyList Format: HTMLPlain textDelimited Subject:   Email to:

Horizon Information Portal 3.25_9382

About | © 2020 Smithsonian | Terms of Use | Privacy | Contact