alaskastatelibrary.docVIP

ALASKA STATE LIBRARY HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS George Family Collection, ca. 1890s-1960s PCA 344 1 - 7 legal document box Processed: July 1993 1 - 5 legal document box By: Marilyn Kwock 1 - 20x16.5 flat box for oversize Revised by: 1 - 5x7x2 box for glass plates Jim Simard Aug. 2007 (1.2 linear feet) 4 - 20”x16.5 flat boxes for OS original negatives(freezer) ACQUISITION: Approximately 775 photographs, negatives and some papers from Georges Gift Shop, Juneau, were donated by Esther Babitzke of Olympia, Washington, in April 1992. Mrs. Babitzke is the niece of Joe George, former owner of the shop. Two albums and 30 Winter Pond negatives, 12”x20” were transferred from the Alaska State Museum (Acc. 2001-063). ACCESS: The collection is unrestricted. COPYRIGHT: Request for permission to publish material from the collection must be discussed with the Librarian. PROCESSING: The photographs were organized and indexed by community and subject. Manuscript materials and reproductions of Sydney Laurence paintings are located at the end of the collection. Most of the negatives are probably nitrate and were placed in refrigerated storage. BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE Michael George, a widower originally from Lebanon, Syria, brought his four children, Mamie, Tom, Joe and Gus, from Rhode Island to Douglas, Alaska, on May 12, 1912. He purchased half interest in George Meyers General Merchandising on Beach Road below St. Ann’s Avenue in Douglas and employed his children there as they grew up. Later he sold his interest in that business and opened his own general merchandising store. He also owned half interest in the Leader Dept. Store across the Channel in Juneau, in partnership with Alex Soucair. In 1921 sold his Douglas business and purchased Soucair’s interest in the Juneau department store to which he devoted his time. In 1923, Michael George and his second wife left Alaska and sold the department store to the three sons. With fi