4-Story Totem

Natives of Southeast Alaska have made totem poles for thousands of years, and this red cedar pole, carved in 1940 by master carver John Wallace of Hydaburg, depicts four Haida clan stories. Described as the last of the professional Haida totem-carvers, Wallace demonstrated his art before thousands at the World's Fair in 1939. His father was also a carver, and as a boy in the 1880s John helped him carve the totem pole now in the lobby of the State Office Building. In 1963 the Rotary Club presented the Four Story Totem to the City of Juneau. Traditionally, totem poles were carved to show family lineage, illustrate experiences or teach history, honor the dead, proclaim contracts, or publicly ridicule someone into paying a debt. Until the 1930s little was done to preserve totem poles in Alaska, but in 1937 the U.S. Forest Service began collecting data on the location and condition of existing poles, and in 1938 restoration of Alaska's totems became a Civilian Conservation Corps project, saving many old poles throughout Alaska.

Juneau, Alaska · United States