Alaska Historical Society

PO Box 100299
Anchorage, AK 99510

For immediate release: November 12, 2015

Contact: Anjuli Grantham, 206-437-1734

Alaska Historic Canneries Initiative Grant Program Announced

The Alaska Historical Society announces the Alaska Historic Canneries Initiative Grant Program
to fund projects that document, preserve, and educate about the history of the Alaska seafood
industry. Grants of up to $1,000 are available to individuals and organizations, and are meant to
jumpstart cannery history projects in Alaska.
Nothing is more important to the identity of coastal Alaska than our connection to fishing and
processing, but relatively little has been done to promote or preserve this history, explains
Project Director Anjuli Grantham. For example, only two canneries are listed on the National
Register of Historic Places in Alaska, even though hundreds of fish processing sites are scattered
across Alaskas shoreline.
The vision of the Alaska Historic Canneries Initiative is to inspire communities, businesses and
individuals to raise the profile and enhance the preservation of seafood industry history in
Alaska.
Possible projects may include, but are not limited to, conducting historical research, collecting
archival materials, taking photographs and videos, preserving historic structures, or preparing
interpretive and educational materials. Anyone interested in the history of Alaskas fishing
industry is eligible to apply, with the exception of federal and state agencies. We will accept
applications from students, professional historians, and others with a passion for history, as well
as from organizations and businesses.
Applications are due January 1, 2016 and will be awarded by January 31. Projects are to be
completed by the end of December 2016. Each grantee must submit a final report to the Alaska
Historical Society summarizing the results of the project, providing documentation of project
activities, and how the money was spent. Recipients must also submit an entry to the Alaska
Historic Cannery blog and are encouraged to present papers at the 2016 AHS Annual
Conference.
Initiative sponsors include the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute and Alaska Sea Grant and
additional sponsors are welcome. For more information about the grant program and the Alaska
Historic Canneries Initiative, see the Societys website: www.alaskahistoricalsociety.org.