Sports & Leisure

Tennis Racket

The nation's passion for sports is obvious every day—at NASCAR races, kiddie soccer matches, and countless other contests. From a handball used by Abraham Lincoln to Chris Evert's tennis racket to a baseball signed by Jackie Robinson, the roughly 6.000 objects in the Museum's sports collections bear witness to the vital place of sports in the nation's history. Paper sports objects in the collections, such as souvenir programs and baseball cards, number in the hundreds of thousands.

Leisure collections encompass a different range of objects, including camping vehicles and gear, video games, playing cards, sportswear, exercise equipment, and Currier and Ives prints of fishing, hunting, and horseracing. Some 4,000 toys dating from the colonial period to the present are a special strength of the collections.

Topic: Sled Dog Racing

Iditarod Dog Sled used by Libby Riddles

Wooden dog sled made by the North Star Sled Company and used by Libby Riddles when she became the first woman musher to win the Iditarod Sled Dog Race in 1985. Libby Riddles was born in the “lower 48” but moved to Alaska when she was 16.
Description (Brief)
Wooden dog sled made by the North Star Sled Company and used by Libby Riddles when she became the first woman musher to win the Iditarod Sled Dog Race in 1985. Libby Riddles was born in the “lower 48” but moved to Alaska when she was 16. Her love of the outdoors and dogs led her to raise and train sled dogs and eventually fueled her passion for sled dog racing. Her first Iditarod run was in 1980 but the male dominated sport left her an outsider, without sponsors. Dog sled racing competitors rely heavily on their sponsor’s money to fund their training and to maintain their sled dog team and with none to provide that stability Riddles was left to her own devices. In 1985 she entered the Iditarod once more and though she had a rough start, 15 days into the race, she was able to pick up a lead as she rode through a blizzard in -50 degree temperatures. Riddles was the first to cross the finish line after 18 days, 20 minutes and 17 seconds. Her win produced a new generation of female mushers and as of 2015, one third of the race competitors were women.
The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is an extreme sports challenge that tests the skill and endurance of competitors while celebrating Alaska’s sled dog culture and history. Teams of 12 to 16 dogs, primarily Alaskan Huskies, and their musher experience harsh terrain and weather conditions during the 1,150 mile run from Anchorage to Nome. In its modern iteration as an extreme sport, the Iditarod takes an intense physical toll not only on the human competitors but also on the sled dogs. The race follows a large network of Native trade and travel routes which travelers used when gold was discovered in the isolated town of Iditarod. This discovery led to a “rush” of miners and settlers from across the country, transforming the trail into the region’s main mail and supply route. The area’s harsh winter conditions made sled dog teams the main source of transportation along the Iditarod Trail and it is this rich history which the Iditarod race celebrates today. In 1978 Congress designated the 2300 mile Iditarod Trail as a National Historic Trail recognizing its importance in the shaping of America. Through its beginnings as a regional story, the Iditarod provides us the opportunity to explore the American Experience through the origins of the Iditarod National Historic Trail and the transformation of the Alaskan sled dog culture into an international sport. The Iditarod is now the largest and most prominent sled dog race in the world, attracting international competitors and world-wide media attention.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1985
used
Riddles, Libby
maker
North Star Dog Sled Company
ID Number
2008.0143.01
accession number
2008.0143
catalog number
2008.0143.01

Race cachet of Balto & Togo, 1999

Race cachet created by the donor, Jona Van Zyle, for the Anchorage Museum of History and Art. This was carried over the original Serum Run route by Colonel Norman Vaughan and his group of mushers as an educational and recreational trip to Nome.
Description (Brief)
Race cachet created by the donor, Jona Van Zyle, for the Anchorage Museum of History and Art. This was carried over the original Serum Run route by Colonel Norman Vaughan and his group of mushers as an educational and recreational trip to Nome. The envelope is signed by all of the participants of that adventure. This cachet pays homage to the early history of the original purpose of the sled dog which was to provide mail and supplies for early settlers and is carried by each musher during the race.
The ‘Serum Run’ refers to the outbreak of diphtheria which hit Nome in 1925. The outbreak began just as the harbor at Nome was frozen over for the winter and while air travel was becoming more widespread in the Alaskan wilderness, the only plane available at the time had a frozen engine and was unable to fly. The Alaska Railroad was used to bring the needed anti-diphtheria serum north from Anchorage to Nenana; it traveled the last 700 miles to Nome through a chain of twenty sled dog teams in just over five days. This relay followed the old mail route along the Iditarod Trail. The sled dog teams included Leonhard Seppala and his lead dog Togo who traveled the longest leg of the relay handing off the serum to musher Gunner Kaasen and his lead dog Balto. It was Kaasen and Balto who arrived in Nome and delivered the much needed serum catapulting Balto into the history books as the most famous sled dog of all time.
Jon and Jona Van Zyle are both artists who live outside of Anchorage and have raised sled dogs for many years. Jon has been a supporter of the Iditarod since it beginnings and ran the race in 1976. Jon produced the first official poster for the Iditarod in 1977 which was such a huge success he was voted official artist of the Iditarod in 1979, a position he holds to this day. Jona also contributes her artistic talents to the race by designing logos for the Junior Iditarod and race cachets for the Iditarod and personal cachets for various mushers.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1999
artist
Van Zyle, Jona
ID Number
2014.0116.15.1
accession number
2014.0116
catalog number
2014.0116.16.1

Ken Anderson 2011 Iditarod sports card

2011 Iditarod sports card of musher Ken Anderson and his sled dog team on the trail, sponsored by the United States Coast Guard. The Coast Guard sponsored Anderson’s Iditarod runs from 2011 through 2013. Ken Anderson began mushing at age 3 in his native Minnesota.
Description (Brief)
2011 Iditarod sports card of musher Ken Anderson and his sled dog team on the trail, sponsored by the United States Coast Guard. The Coast Guard sponsored Anderson’s Iditarod runs from 2011 through 2013. Ken Anderson began mushing at age 3 in his native Minnesota. He moved to Alaska in 1993 to attend the University of Alaska and began running the Iditarod in 1999. He owns and operates Windy Creek Kennels with his wife, Gwen, also an Iditarod musher and they compete in sprint and marathon races in the lower ‘48’ and Europe. The Andersons are the first husband and wife to race in the Iditarod and the Yukon Quest.
The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is an extreme sports challenge that tests the skill and endurance of competitors while celebrating Alaska’s sled dog culture and history. Teams of 12 to 16 dogs, primarily Alaskan Huskies, and their musher experience harsh terrain and weather conditions during the 1,150 mile run from Anchorage to Nome. In its modern iteration as an extreme sport, the Iditarod takes an intense physical toll not only on the human competitors but also on the sled dogs. The race follows a large network of Native trade and travel routes which travelers used when gold was discovered in the isolated town of Iditarod. This discovery led to a “rush” of miners and settlers from across the country, transforming the trail into the region’s main mail and supply route. The area’s harsh winter conditions made sled dog teams the main source of transportation along the Iditarod Trail and it is this rich history which the Iditarod race celebrates today. In 1978 Congress designated the 2300 mile Iditarod Trail as a National Historic Trail recognizing its importance in the shaping of America. Through its beginnings as a regional story, the Iditarod provides us the opportunity to explore the American Experience through the origins of the Iditarod National Historic Trail and the transformation of the Alaskan sled dog culture into an international sport. The Iditarod is now the largest and most prominent sled dog race in the world, attracting international competitors and world-wide media attention.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2011
depicted
Anderson, Ken
ID Number
2013.3023.04
nonaccession number
2013.3023
catalog number
2013.3023.04

2009 Iditarod poster

This is the official poster for the 2009 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race by the donor, Jon Van Zyle, the official artist of the Iditarod.The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is an extreme sports challenge that tests the skill and endurance of competitors while celebrating Alaska’s sled dog cu
Description (Brief)
This is the official poster for the 2009 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race by the donor, Jon Van Zyle, the official artist of the Iditarod.
The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is an extreme sports challenge that tests the skill and endurance of competitors while celebrating Alaska’s sled dog culture and history. Teams of 12 to 16 dogs, primarily Alaskan Huskies, and their musher experience harsh terrain and weather conditions during the 1,150 mile run from Anchorage to Nome. In its modern iteration as an extreme sport, the Iditarod takes an intense physical toll not only on the human competitors but also on the sled dogs. The race follows a large network of Native trade and travel routes which travelers used when gold was discovered in the isolated town of Iditarod. This discovery led to a “rush” of miners and settlers from across the country, transforming the trail into the region’s main mail and supply route. The area’s harsh winter conditions made sled dog teams the main source of transportation along the Iditarod Trail and it is this rich history which the Iditarod race celebrates today. In 1978 Congress designated the 2300 mile Iditarod Trail as a National Historic Trail recognizing its importance in the shaping of America. Through its beginnings as a regional story, the Iditarod provides us the opportunity to explore the American Experience through the origins of the Iditarod National Historic Trail and the transformation of the Alaskan sled dog culture into an international sport. The Iditarod is now the largest and most prominent sled dog race in the world, attracting international competitors and world-wide media attention.
Jon and Jona Van Zyle are both artists who live outside of Anchorage and have raised sled dogs for many years. Jon has been a supporter of the Iditarod since it beginnings and ran the race in 1976. Jon produced the first official poster for the Iditarod in 1977 which was such a huge success he was voted official artist of the Iditarod in 1979, a position he holds to this day. Jona also contributes her artistic talents to the race by designing logos for the Junior Iditarod and race cachets for the Iditarod and personal cachets for various mushers.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2005
artist
Van Zyle, Jon
ID Number
2014.0116.22
accession number
2014.0116
catalog number
2014.0116.23

Ken Anderson 2011 Iditarod sports card

2011 Iditarod sports card of musher Ken Anderson and two of his sled dogs, sponsored by the United States Coast Guard. The Coast Guard sponsored Anderson’s Iditarod runs from 2011 through 2013. Ken Anderson began mushing at age 3 in his native Minnesota.
Description (Brief)
2011 Iditarod sports card of musher Ken Anderson and two of his sled dogs, sponsored by the United States Coast Guard. The Coast Guard sponsored Anderson’s Iditarod runs from 2011 through 2013. Ken Anderson began mushing at age 3 in his native Minnesota. He moved to Alaska in 1993 to attend the University of Alaska and began running the Iditarod in 1999. He owns and operates Windy Creek Kennels with his wife, Gwen, also an Iditarod musher and they compete in sprint and marathon races in the lower ‘48’ and Europe. The Andersons are the first husband and wife to race in the Iditarod and the Yukon Quest.
The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is an extreme sports challenge that tests the skill and endurance of competitors while celebrating Alaska’s sled dog culture and history. Teams of 12 to 16 dogs, primarily Alaskan Huskies, and their musher experience harsh terrain and weather conditions during the 1,150 mile run from Anchorage to Nome. In its modern iteration as an extreme sport, the Iditarod takes an intense physical toll not only on the human competitors but also on the sled dogs. The race follows a large network of Native trade and travel routes which travelers used when gold was discovered in the isolated town of Iditarod. This discovery led to a “rush” of miners and settlers from across the country, transforming the trail into the region’s main mail and supply route. The area’s harsh winter conditions made sled dog teams the main source of transportation along the Iditarod Trail and it is this rich history which the Iditarod race celebrates today. In 1978 Congress designated the 2300 mile Iditarod Trail as a National Historic Trail recognizing its importance in the shaping of America. Through its beginnings as a regional story, the Iditarod provides us the opportunity to explore the American Experience through the origins of the Iditarod National Historic Trail and the transformation of the Alaskan sled dog culture into an international sport. The Iditarod is now the largest and most prominent sled dog race in the world, attracting international competitors and world-wide media attention.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2011
depicted
Anderson, Ken
ID Number
2013.3023.02
nonaccession number
2013.3023
catalog number
2013.3023.02

Jon Van Zyle sports card

Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race sports card with a color photograph of Jon Van Zyle, the official artist of the Iditarod on the front of the card and a biography on the reverse, 1991.
Description (Brief)
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race sports card with a color photograph of Jon Van Zyle, the official artist of the Iditarod on the front of the card and a biography on the reverse, 1991. The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is an extreme sports challenge that tests the skill and endurance of competitors while celebrating Alaska’s sled dog culture and history. Teams of 12 to 16 dogs, primarily Alaskan Huskies, and their musher experience harsh terrain and weather conditions during the 1,150 mile run from Anchorage to Nome. In its modern iteration as an extreme sport, the Iditarod takes an intense physical toll not only on the human competitors but also on the sled dogs. The race follows a large network of Native trade and travel routes which travelers used when gold was discovered in the isolated town of Iditarod. This discovery led to a “rush” of miners and settlers from across the country, transforming the trail into the region’s main mail and supply route. The area’s harsh winter conditions made sled dog teams the main source of transportation along the Iditarod Trail and it is this rich history which the Iditarod race celebrates today. In 1978 Congress designated the 2300 mile Iditarod Trail as a National Historic Trail recognizing its importance in the shaping of America. Through its beginnings as a regional story, the Iditarod provides us the opportunity to explore the American Experience through the origins of the Iditarod National Historic Trail and the transformation of the Alaskan sled dog culture into an international sport. The Iditarod is now the largest and most prominent sled dog race in the world, attracting international competitors and world-wide media attention.
Jon and Jona Van Zyle are both artists who live outside of Anchorage and have raised sled dogs for many years. Jon has been a supporter of the Iditarod since it beginnings and ran the race in 1976. Jon produced the first official poster for the Iditarod in 1977 which was such a huge success he was voted official artist of the Iditarod in 1979, a position he holds to this day. Jona also contributes her artistic talents to the race by designing logos for the Junior Iditarod and race cachets for the Iditarod and personal cachets for various mushers.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1991
depicted (sitter)
Van Zyle, Jon
ID Number
2014.0116.18
accession number
2014.0116
catalog number
2014.0116.19

Single Leader "Lionel" 2012 Iditarod sports card

2012 Iditarod sports card of single leader dog, Lionel, sponsored by Happy Trails Kennel which is owned and operated by musher, Martin Buser. Buser emigrated to Alaska from Switzerland in 1979 and opened his sled dog breeding and training facility, the Happy Trails Kennel.
Description (Brief)
2012 Iditarod sports card of single leader dog, Lionel, sponsored by Happy Trails Kennel which is owned and operated by musher, Martin Buser. Buser emigrated to Alaska from Switzerland in 1979 and opened his sled dog breeding and training facility, the Happy Trails Kennel. Buser chooses dogs from sprint racing champions and breeds them with dogs that are athletically well built and then trains them for long distance races such as the Iditarod. He had many skeptics in the beginning but has run in every Iditarod since 1986, winning four times so he must be doing something right. Buser has won the Leonhard Seppala Award for the most humanitarian care of his dogs in 1988, 1993, 1995, 1997, and 2014.
The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is an extreme sports challenge that tests the skill and endurance of competitors while celebrating Alaska’s sled dog culture and history. Teams of 12 to 16 dogs, primarily Alaskan Huskies, and their musher experience harsh terrain and weather conditions during the 1,150 mile run from Anchorage to Nome. In its modern iteration as an extreme sport, the Iditarod takes an intense physical toll not only on the human competitors but also on the sled dogs. The race follows a large network of Native trade and travel routes which travelers used when gold was discovered in the isolated town of Iditarod. This discovery led to a “rush” of miners and settlers from across the country, transforming the trail into the region’s main mail and supply route. The area’s harsh winter conditions made sled dog teams the main source of transportation along the Iditarod Trail and it is this rich history which the Iditarod race celebrates today. In 1978 Congress designated the 2300 mile Iditarod Trail as a National Historic Trail recognizing its importance in the shaping of America. Through its beginnings as a regional story, the Iditarod provides us the opportunity to explore the American Experience through the origins of the Iditarod National Historic Trail and the transformation of the Alaskan sled dog culture into an international sport. The Iditarod is now the largest and most prominent sled dog race in the world, attracting international competitors and world-wide media attention.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2012
ID Number
2013.3036.25
nonaccession number
2013.3036
catalog number
2013.3036.25

Super Lead Dog "Quick" 2012 Iditarod sports card

2012 Iditarod sports card of super lead dog, Quick, sponsored by Happy Trails Kennel which is owned and operated by musher, Martin Buser. Buser emigrated to Alaska from Switzerland in 1979 and opened his sled dog breeding and training facility, the Happy Trails Kennel.
Description (Brief)
2012 Iditarod sports card of super lead dog, Quick, sponsored by Happy Trails Kennel which is owned and operated by musher, Martin Buser. Buser emigrated to Alaska from Switzerland in 1979 and opened his sled dog breeding and training facility, the Happy Trails Kennel. Buser chooses dogs from sprint racing champions and breeds them with dogs that are athletically well built and then trains them for long distance races such as the Iditarod. He had many skeptics in the beginning but has run in every Iditarod since 1986, winning four times so he must be doing something right. Buser has won the Leonhard Seppala Award for the most humanitarian care of his dogs in 1988, 1993, 1995, 1997, and 2014.
The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is an extreme sports challenge that tests the skill and endurance of competitors while celebrating Alaska’s sled dog culture and history. Teams of 12 to 16 dogs, primarily Alaskan Huskies, and their musher experience harsh terrain and weather conditions during the 1,150 mile run from Anchorage to Nome. In its modern iteration as an extreme sport, the Iditarod takes an intense physical toll not only on the human competitors but also on the sled dogs. The race follows a large network of Native trade and travel routes which travelers used when gold was discovered in the isolated town of Iditarod. This discovery led to a “rush” of miners and settlers from across the country, transforming the trail into the region’s main mail and supply route. The area’s harsh winter conditions made sled dog teams the main source of transportation along the Iditarod Trail and it is this rich history which the Iditarod race celebrates today. In 1978 Congress designated the 2300 mile Iditarod Trail as a National Historic Trail recognizing its importance in the shaping of America. Through its beginnings as a regional story, the Iditarod provides us the opportunity to explore the American Experience through the origins of the Iditarod National Historic Trail and the transformation of the Alaskan sled dog culture into an international sport. The Iditarod is now the largest and most prominent sled dog race in the world, attracting international competitors and world-wide media attention.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2012
ID Number
2013.3036.26
nonaccession number
2013.3036
catalog number
2013.3036.26

DeeDee Jonrowe 2012 Iditarod sports card

2012 Iditarod sports card of musher DeeDee Jonrowe and one of her sled dogs sponsored by the Shell Oil Company. DeeDee Jonrowe moved to Alaska in her teens and began competing in sled dog races in 1978.
Description (Brief)
2012 Iditarod sports card of musher DeeDee Jonrowe and one of her sled dogs sponsored by the Shell Oil Company. DeeDee Jonrowe moved to Alaska in her teens and began competing in sled dog races in 1978. She ran her first Iditarod in 1980 and consistently finishes in the top 10 or 20 and winning both the Copper Basin 300 and Klondike 300 races. She is most proud of the awards she has won for dog care including the Leonhard Seppala Humanitarian award given by the veterinarians of the Iditarod for the musher who has provided the best care and treatment to their dogs. She is the founder of M.U.S.H. with Pride, an organization that assists with training of kennel owners on the fair treatment of dogs. Her public battle with breast cancer in 2002 has cast Jonrowe as the inspirational role model for many and in 2003 she became an honorary chairperson for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. Jonrowe lost her home and kennel in 2015 during the Sockey Wildfire but managed to save all of her dogs and is currently rebuilding.
The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is an extreme sports challenge that tests the skill and endurance of competitors while celebrating Alaska’s sled dog culture and history. Teams of 12 to 16 dogs, primarily Alaskan Huskies, and their musher experience harsh terrain and weather conditions during the 1,150 mile run from Anchorage to Nome. In its modern iteration as an extreme sport, the Iditarod takes an intense physical toll not only on the human competitors but also on the sled dogs. The race follows a large network of Native trade and travel routes which travelers used when gold was discovered in the isolated town of Iditarod. This discovery led to a “rush” of miners and settlers from across the country, transforming the trail into the region’s main mail and supply route. The area’s harsh winter conditions made sled dog teams the main source of transportation along the Iditarod Trail and it is this rich history which the Iditarod race celebrates today. In 1978 Congress designated the 2300 mile Iditarod Trail as a National Historic Trail recognizing its importance in the shaping of America. Through its beginnings as a regional story, the Iditarod provides us the opportunity to explore the American Experience through the origins of the Iditarod National Historic Trail and the transformation of the Alaskan sled dog culture into an international sport. The Iditarod is now the largest and most prominent sled dog race in the world, attracting international competitors and world-wide media attention.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2012
depicted
Jonrowe, DeeDee
ID Number
2013.3036.13
nonaccession number
2013.3036
catalog number
2013.3036.13

Race cachet letter for the Trail Breaker Sled Dog Club, 1990

Race cachet carried by a sled dog team of the Ohio based Trail Breakers Sled Dog Club over the race course in the tradition of sled dog teams of the past. The art work for the cachet was designed by Jona Van Zyle.
Description (Brief)
Race cachet carried by a sled dog team of the Ohio based Trail Breakers Sled Dog Club over the race course in the tradition of sled dog teams of the past. The art work for the cachet was designed by Jona Van Zyle. This cachet pays homage to the early history of the original purpose of the sled dog which was to provide mail and supplies for early settlers and is carried by each musher during the race.
Jon and Jona Van Zyle are both artists who live outside of Anchorage and have raised sled dogs for many years. Jon has been a supporter of the Iditarod since it beginnings and ran the race in 1976. Jon produced the first official poster for the Iditarod in 1977 which was such a huge success he was voted official artist of the Iditarod in 1979, a position he holds to this day. Jona also contributes her artistic talents to the race by designing logos for the Junior Iditarod and race cachets for the Iditarod and personal cachets for various mushers.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1990
artist
Van Zyle, Jona
ID Number
2014.0116.03.2
accession number
2014.0116
catalog number
2014.0116.03.2

Race cachet for the Trail Breaker Sled Dog Club, 1987

Race cachet carried by a sled dog team of the Ohio based Trail Breakers Sled Dog Club over the race course in the tradition of sled dog teams of the past and is autographed by mushers and club members. The art work for the cachet was designed by Jona Van Zyle.
Description (Brief)
Race cachet carried by a sled dog team of the Ohio based Trail Breakers Sled Dog Club over the race course in the tradition of sled dog teams of the past and is autographed by mushers and club members. The art work for the cachet was designed by Jona Van Zyle. This cachet pays homage to the early history of the original purpose of the sled dog which was to provide mail and supplies for early settlers and is carried by each musher during the race.
Jon and Jona Van Zyle are both artists who live outside of Anchorage and have raised sled dogs for many years. Jon has been a supporter of the Iditarod since it beginnings and ran the race in 1976. Jon produced the first official poster for the Iditarod in 1977 which was such a huge success he was voted official artist of the Iditarod in 1979, a position he holds to this day. Jona also contributes her artistic talents to the race by designing logos for the Junior Iditarod and race cachets for the Iditarod and personal cachets for various mushers.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1987
artist
Van Zyle, Jona
ID Number
2014.0116.02
accession number
2014.0116
catalog number
2014.0116.02

DeeDee Jonrowe 2012 Iditarod sports card

2012 Iditarod sports card of musher DeeDee Jonrowe and one of her sled dogs sponsored by the Shell Oil Company. DeeDee Jonrowe moved to Alaska in her teens and began competing in sled dog races in 1978.
Description (Brief)
2012 Iditarod sports card of musher DeeDee Jonrowe and one of her sled dogs sponsored by the Shell Oil Company. DeeDee Jonrowe moved to Alaska in her teens and began competing in sled dog races in 1978. She ran her first Iditarod in 1980 and consistently finishes in the top 10 or 20 and winning both the Copper Basin 300 and Klondike 300 races. She is most proud of the awards she has won for dog care including the Leonhard Seppala Humanitarian award given by the veterinarians of the Iditarod for the musher who has provided the best care and treatment to their dogs. She is the founder of M.U.S.H. with Pride, an organization that assists with training of kennel owners on the fair treatment of dogs. Her public battle with breast cancer in 2002 has cast Jonrowe as the inspirational role model for many and in 2003 she became an honorary chairperson for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. Jonrowe lost her home and kennel in 2015 during the Sockey Wildfire but managed to save all of her dogs and is currently rebuilding.
The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is an extreme sports challenge that tests the skill and endurance of competitors while celebrating Alaska’s sled dog culture and history. Teams of 12 to 16 dogs, primarily Alaskan Huskies, and their musher experience harsh terrain and weather conditions during the 1,150 mile run from Anchorage to Nome. In its modern iteration as an extreme sport, the Iditarod takes an intense physical toll not only on the human competitors but also on the sled dogs. The race follows a large network of Native trade and travel routes which travelers used when gold was discovered in the isolated town of Iditarod. This discovery led to a “rush” of miners and settlers from across the country, transforming the trail into the region’s main mail and supply route. The area’s harsh winter conditions made sled dog teams the main source of transportation along the Iditarod Trail and it is this rich history which the Iditarod race celebrates today. In 1978 Congress designated the 2300 mile Iditarod Trail as a National Historic Trail recognizing its importance in the shaping of America. Through its beginnings as a regional story, the Iditarod provides us the opportunity to explore the American Experience through the origins of the Iditarod National Historic Trail and the transformation of the Alaskan sled dog culture into an international sport. The Iditarod is now the largest and most prominent sled dog race in the world, attracting international competitors and world-wide media attention.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2012
depicted
Jonrowe, DeeDee
ID Number
2013.3036.12
nonaccession number
2013.3036
catalog number
2013.3036.12

Lead Dog "Badger" 2012 Iditarod sports card

2012 Iditarod sports card of lead dog, Badger, sponsored by Happy Trails Kennel which is owned and operated by musher, Martin Buser. Buser emigrated to Alaska from Switzerland in 1979 and opened his sled dog breeding and training facility, the Happy Trails Kennel.
Description (Brief)
2012 Iditarod sports card of lead dog, Badger, sponsored by Happy Trails Kennel which is owned and operated by musher, Martin Buser. Buser emigrated to Alaska from Switzerland in 1979 and opened his sled dog breeding and training facility, the Happy Trails Kennel. Buser chooses dogs from sprint racing champions and breeds them with dogs that are athletically well built and then trains them for long distance races such as the Iditarod. He had many skeptics in the beginning but has run in every Iditarod since 1986, winning four times so he must be doing something right. Buser has won the Leonhard Seppala Award for the most humanitarian care of his dogs in 1988, 1993, 1995, 1997, and 2014.
The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is an extreme sports challenge that tests the skill and endurance of competitors while celebrating Alaska’s sled dog culture and history. Teams of 12 to 16 dogs, primarily Alaskan Huskies, and their musher experience harsh terrain and weather conditions during the 1,150 mile run from Anchorage to Nome. In its modern iteration as an extreme sport, the Iditarod takes an intense physical toll not only on the human competitors but also on the sled dogs. The race follows a large network of Native trade and travel routes which travelers used when gold was discovered in the isolated town of Iditarod. This discovery led to a “rush” of miners and settlers from across the country, transforming the trail into the region’s main mail and supply route. The area’s harsh winter conditions made sled dog teams the main source of transportation along the Iditarod Trail and it is this rich history which the Iditarod race celebrates today. In 1978 Congress designated the 2300 mile Iditarod Trail as a National Historic Trail recognizing its importance in the shaping of America. Through its beginnings as a regional story, the Iditarod provides us the opportunity to explore the American Experience through the origins of the Iditarod National Historic Trail and the transformation of the Alaskan sled dog culture into an international sport. The Iditarod is now the largest and most prominent sled dog race in the world, attracting international competitors and world-wide media attention.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2012
ID Number
2013.3036.29
nonaccession number
2013.3036
catalog number
2013.3036.29

Race cachet for the Trail Breaker Sled Dog Club, 1990

Race cachet carried by a sled dog team of the Ohio based Trail Breakers Sled Dog Club over the race course in the tradition of sled dog teams of the past and is autographed by mushers and club members. The art work for the cachet was designed by Jona Van Zyle.
Description (Brief)
Race cachet carried by a sled dog team of the Ohio based Trail Breakers Sled Dog Club over the race course in the tradition of sled dog teams of the past and is autographed by mushers and club members. The art work for the cachet was designed by Jona Van Zyle. This cachet pays homage to the early history of the original purpose of the sled dog which was to provide mail and supplies for early settlers and is carried by each musher during the race.
Jon and Jona Van Zyle are both artists who live outside of Anchorage and have raised sled dogs for many years. Jon has been a supporter of the Iditarod since it beginnings and ran the race in 1976. Jon produced the first official poster for the Iditarod in 1977 which was such a huge success he was voted official artist of the Iditarod in 1979, a position he holds to this day. Jona also contributes her artistic talents to the race by designing logos for the Junior Iditarod and race cachets for the Iditarod and personal cachets for various mushers.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1990
artist
Van Zyle, Jona
ID Number
2014.0116.03.1
accession number
2014.0116
catalog number
2014.0116.03.1

DeeDee Jonrowe 2012 Iditarod sports card

2012 Iditarod sports card of musher DeeDee Jonrowe and one of her sled dog on the trail sponsored by the Shell Oil Company. DeeDee Jonrowe moved to Alaska in her teens and began competing in sled dog races in 1978.
Description (Brief)
2012 Iditarod sports card of musher DeeDee Jonrowe and one of her sled dog on the trail sponsored by the Shell Oil Company. DeeDee Jonrowe moved to Alaska in her teens and began competing in sled dog races in 1978. She ran her first Iditarod in 1980 and consistently finishes in the top 10 or 20 and winning both the Copper Basin 300 and Klondike 300 races. She is most proud of the awards she has won for dog care including the Leonhard Seppala Humanitarian award given by the veterinarians of the Iditarod for the musher who has provided the best care and treatment to their dogs. She is the founder of M.U.S.H. with Pride, an organization that assists with training of kennel owners on the fair treatment of dogs. Her public battle with breast cancer in 2002 has cast Jonrowe as the inspirational role model for many and in 2003 she became an honorary chairperson for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. Jonrowe lost her home and kennel in 2015 during the Sockey Wildfire but managed to save all of her dogs and is currently rebuilding.
The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is an extreme sports challenge that tests the skill and endurance of competitors while celebrating Alaska’s sled dog culture and history. Teams of 12 to 16 dogs, primarily Alaskan Huskies, and their musher experience harsh terrain and weather conditions during the 1,150 mile run from Anchorage to Nome. In its modern iteration as an extreme sport, the Iditarod takes an intense physical toll not only on the human competitors but also on the sled dogs. The race follows a large network of Native trade and travel routes which travelers used when gold was discovered in the isolated town of Iditarod. This discovery led to a “rush” of miners and settlers from across the country, transforming the trail into the region’s main mail and supply route. The area’s harsh winter conditions made sled dog teams the main source of transportation along the Iditarod Trail and it is this rich history which the Iditarod race celebrates today. In 1978 Congress designated the 2300 mile Iditarod Trail as a National Historic Trail recognizing its importance in the shaping of America. Through its beginnings as a regional story, the Iditarod provides us the opportunity to explore the American Experience through the origins of the Iditarod National Historic Trail and the transformation of the Alaskan sled dog culture into an international sport. The Iditarod is now the largest and most prominent sled dog race in the world, attracting international competitors and world-wide media attention.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2012
depicted
Jonrowe, DeeDee
ID Number
2013.3036.15
nonaccession number
2013.3036
catalog number
2013.3036.15

Speed Leader "Rachel" 2012 Iditarod sports card

2012 Iditarod sports card of the speed lead dog, Rachel, sponsored by Happy Trails Kennel which is owned and operated by musher, Martin Buser. Buser emigrated to Alaska from Switzerland in 1979 and opened his sled dog breeding and training facility, the Happy Trails Kennel.
Description (Brief)
2012 Iditarod sports card of the speed lead dog, Rachel, sponsored by Happy Trails Kennel which is owned and operated by musher, Martin Buser. Buser emigrated to Alaska from Switzerland in 1979 and opened his sled dog breeding and training facility, the Happy Trails Kennel. Buser chooses dogs from sprint racing champions and breeds them with dogs that are athletically well built and then trains them for long distance races such as the Iditarod. He had many skeptics in the beginning but has run in every Iditarod since 1986, winning four times so he must be doing something right. Buser has won the Leonhard Seppala Award for the most humanitarian care of his dogs in 1988, 1993, 1995, 1997, and 2014.
The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is an extreme sports challenge that tests the skill and endurance of competitors while celebrating Alaska’s sled dog culture and history. Teams of 12 to 16 dogs, primarily Alaskan Huskies, and their musher experience harsh terrain and weather conditions during the 1,150 mile run from Anchorage to Nome. In its modern iteration as an extreme sport, the Iditarod takes an intense physical toll not only on the human competitors but also on the sled dogs. The race follows a large network of Native trade and travel routes which travelers used when gold was discovered in the isolated town of Iditarod. This discovery led to a “rush” of miners and settlers from across the country, transforming the trail into the region’s main mail and supply route. The area’s harsh winter conditions made sled dog teams the main source of transportation along the Iditarod Trail and it is this rich history which the Iditarod race celebrates today. In 1978 Congress designated the 2300 mile Iditarod Trail as a National Historic Trail recognizing its importance in the shaping of America. Through its beginnings as a regional story, the Iditarod provides us the opportunity to explore the American Experience through the origins of the Iditarod National Historic Trail and the transformation of the Alaskan sled dog culture into an international sport. The Iditarod is now the largest and most prominent sled dog race in the world, attracting international competitors and world-wide media attention.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2012
ID Number
2013.3036.22
nonaccession number
2013.3036
catalog number
2013.3036.22

Bill Mackey 1991 Iditarod sports card

1991 Iditarod sports card autographed by musher Bill Mackey of Mackey's Mushing School. Bill Mackey ran the 1984 Iditarod Sled Dog Race as a rookie and received the Red Lantern Award.
Description (Brief)
1991 Iditarod sports card autographed by musher Bill Mackey of Mackey's Mushing School. Bill Mackey ran the 1984 Iditarod Sled Dog Race as a rookie and received the Red Lantern Award. This award is given to the last finisher of the race and began as a joke during the 1953 Fur Rendezvous Race and carried over to the Iditarod. It is often mistaken for the Widow’s Lamp which is a kerosene lantern, lit and hung on the burled arch in Nome until the last racer crosses the finish line. It is then extinguished. This is to commemorate the tradition started during the early days of Alaskan history when sled dog teams were used to carry mail and supplies to the early settlers of Alaska. A lamp was lit and hung by the door of a roadhouse to help the mushers find their way and to let people know that there was still a team out on the trail. Once the last musher arrived the lamp was brought inside.
The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is an extreme sports challenge that tests the skill and endurance of competitors while celebrating Alaska’s sled dog culture and history. Teams of 12 to 16 dogs, primarily Alaskan Huskies, and their musher experience harsh terrain and weather conditions during the 1,150 mile run from Anchorage to Nome. In its modern iteration as an extreme sport, the Iditarod takes an intense physical toll not only on the human competitors but also on the sled dogs. The race follows a large network of Native trade and travel routes which travelers used when gold was discovered in the isolated town of Iditarod. This discovery led to a “rush” of miners and settlers from across the country, transforming the trail into the region’s main mail and supply route. The area’s harsh winter conditions made sled dog teams the main source of transportation along the Iditarod Trail and it is this rich history which the Iditarod race celebrates today. In 1978 Congress designated the 2300 mile Iditarod Trail as a National Historic Trail recognizing its importance in the shaping of America. Through its beginnings as a regional story, the Iditarod provides us the opportunity to explore the American Experience through the origins of the Iditarod National Historic Trail and the transformation of the Alaskan sled dog culture into an international sport. The Iditarod is now the largest and most prominent sled dog race in the world, attracting international competitors and world-wide media attention.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1991
ID Number
2013.3036.10
nonaccession number
2013.3036
catalog number
2013.3036.10

DeeDee Jonrowe 2012 Iditarod sports card

2012 Iditarod sports card of musher DeeDee Jonrowe and one of her sled dogs at the ceremonial start of the Iditarod sponsored by the Shell Oil Company. DeeDee Jonrowe moved to Alaska in her teens and began competing in sled dog races in 1978.
Description (Brief)
2012 Iditarod sports card of musher DeeDee Jonrowe and one of her sled dogs at the ceremonial start of the Iditarod sponsored by the Shell Oil Company. DeeDee Jonrowe moved to Alaska in her teens and began competing in sled dog races in 1978. She ran her first Iditarod in 1980 and consistently finishes in the top 10 or 20 and winning both the Copper Basin 300 and Klondike 300 races. She is most proud of the awards she has won for dog care including the Leonhard Seppala Humanitarian award given by the veterinarians of the Iditarod for the musher who has provided the best care and treatment to their dogs. She is the founder of M.U.S.H. with Pride, an organization that assists with training of kennel owners on the fair treatment of dogs. Her public battle with breast cancer in 2002 has cast Jonrowe as the inspirational role model for many and in 2003 she became an honorary chairperson for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. Jonrowe lost her home and kennel in 2015 during the Sockey Wildfire but managed to save all of her dogs and is currently rebuilding.
The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is an extreme sports challenge that tests the skill and endurance of competitors while celebrating Alaska’s sled dog culture and history. Teams of 12 to 16 dogs, primarily Alaskan Huskies, and their musher experience harsh terrain and weather conditions during the 1,150 mile run from Anchorage to Nome. In its modern iteration as an extreme sport, the Iditarod takes an intense physical toll not only on the human competitors but also on the sled dogs. The race follows a large network of Native trade and travel routes which travelers used when gold was discovered in the isolated town of Iditarod. This discovery led to a “rush” of miners and settlers from across the country, transforming the trail into the region’s main mail and supply route. The area’s harsh winter conditions made sled dog teams the main source of transportation along the Iditarod Trail and it is this rich history which the Iditarod race celebrates today. In 1978 Congress designated the 2300 mile Iditarod Trail as a National Historic Trail recognizing its importance in the shaping of America. Through its beginnings as a regional story, the Iditarod provides us the opportunity to explore the American Experience through the origins of the Iditarod National Historic Trail and the transformation of the Alaskan sled dog culture into an international sport. The Iditarod is now the largest and most prominent sled dog race in the world, attracting international competitors and world-wide media attention.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2012
depicted
Jonrowe, DeeDee
ID Number
2013.3036.18
nonaccession number
2013.3036
catalog number
2013.3036.18

2004 Iditarod poster

This is the official poster for the 2004 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race by the donor, Jon Van Zyle, the official artist of the Iditarod.The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is an extreme sports challenge that tests the skill and endurance of competitors while celebrating Alaska’s sled dog cu
Description (Brief)
This is the official poster for the 2004 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race by the donor, Jon Van Zyle, the official artist of the Iditarod.
The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is an extreme sports challenge that tests the skill and endurance of competitors while celebrating Alaska’s sled dog culture and history. Teams of 12 to 16 dogs, primarily Alaskan Huskies, and their musher experience harsh terrain and weather conditions during the 1,150 mile run from Anchorage to Nome. In its modern iteration as an extreme sport, the Iditarod takes an intense physical toll not only on the human competitors but also on the sled dogs. The race follows a large network of Native trade and travel routes which travelers used when gold was discovered in the isolated town of Iditarod. This discovery led to a “rush” of miners and settlers from across the country, transforming the trail into the region’s main mail and supply route. The area’s harsh winter conditions made sled dog teams the main source of transportation along the Iditarod Trail and it is this rich history which the Iditarod race celebrates today. In 1978 Congress designated the 2300 mile Iditarod Trail as a National Historic Trail recognizing its importance in the shaping of America. Through its beginnings as a regional story, the Iditarod provides us the opportunity to explore the American Experience through the origins of the Iditarod National Historic Trail and the transformation of the Alaskan sled dog culture into an international sport. The Iditarod is now the largest and most prominent sled dog race in the world, attracting international competitors and world-wide media attention.
Jon and Jona Van Zyle are both artists who live outside of Anchorage and have raised sled dogs for many years. Jon has been a supporter of the Iditarod since it beginnings and ran the race in 1976. Jon produced the first official poster for the Iditarod in 1977 which was such a huge success he was voted official artist of the Iditarod in 1979, a position he holds to this day. Jona also contributes her artistic talents to the race by designing logos for the Junior Iditarod and race cachets for the Iditarod and personal cachets for various mushers.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2004
artist
Van Zyle, Jon
ID Number
2014.0116.21
accession number
2014.0116
catalog number
2014.0116.22

Race cachet for Woodstock New Brunswick Canada, 1992

Race cachet carried by dogsled and postmarked in Woodstock New Brunswick, Canada.
Description (Brief)
Race cachet carried by dogsled and postmarked in Woodstock New Brunswick, Canada. This cachet pays homage to the early history of the original purpose of the sled dog which was to provide mail and supplies for early settlers and is carried by each musher during the race.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1992
ID Number
2014.0116.04.1
accession number
2014.0116
catalog number
2014.0116.04

Race cachet for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, 2012

Race cachet designed by Jona Van Zyle and carried by DeeDee Jonrowe in her sled bag from Anchorage, Alaska to Nome, Alaska. It was canceled in Anchorage on the day of the race start and on the day she finished in Nome.
Description (Brief)
Race cachet designed by Jona Van Zyle and carried by DeeDee Jonrowe in her sled bag from Anchorage, Alaska to Nome, Alaska. It was canceled in Anchorage on the day of the race start and on the day she finished in Nome. She is also the musher pictured in the Jeff Schultz photo used on the stamp on this envelope. As a breast cancer survivor, DeeDee likes Jona to use pink in her designs. Trail mail is on the list of required gear for all mushers to carry during the Iditarod, making it just as important as snow shoes, a sleeping bag, the vet book or an ax. Each musher is required to carry this mail cachet throughout the race and deliver it to the Nome post office when the race is completed. This cachet pays homage to the early history of the Iditarod Trail and its original purpose of providing mail and supplies for the Alaskan settlers drawn to the area by the gold rush.
The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is an extreme sports challenge that tests the skill and endurance of competitors while celebrating Alaska’s sled dog culture and history. Teams of 12 to 16 dogs, primarily Alaskan Huskies, and their musher experience harsh terrain and weather conditions during the 1,150 mile run from Anchorage to Nome. In its modern iteration as an extreme sport, the Iditarod takes an intense physical toll not only on the human competitors but also on the sled dogs. The race follows a large network of Native trade and travel routes which travelers used when gold was discovered in the isolated town of Iditarod. This discovery led to a “rush” of miners and settlers from across the country, transforming the trail into the region’s main mail and supply route. The area’s harsh winter conditions made sled dog teams the main source of transportation along the Iditarod Trail and it is this rich history which the Iditarod race celebrates today. In 1978 Congress designated the 2300 mile Iditarod Trail as a National Historic Trail recognizing its importance in the shaping of America. Through its beginnings as a regional story, the Iditarod provides us the opportunity to explore the American Experience through the origins of the Iditarod National Historic Trail and the transformation of the Alaskan sled dog culture into an international sport. The Iditarod is now the largest and most prominent sled dog race in the world, attracting international competitors and world-wide media attention.
Jon and Jona Van Zyle are both artists who live outside of Anchorage and have raised sled dogs for many years. Jon has been a supporter of the Iditarod since it beginnings and ran the race in 1976. Jon produced the first official poster for the Iditarod in 1977 which was such a huge success he was voted official artist of the Iditarod in 1979, a position he holds to this day. Jona also contributes her artistic talents to the race by designing logos for the Junior Iditarod and race cachets for the Iditarod and personal cachets for various mushers.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2012
referenced
Jonrowe, DeeDee
artist
Van Zyle, Jona
ID Number
2014.0116.13.1
accession number
2014.0116
catalog number
2014.0116.14.1

Iditarod 2012 key chain

This is a keychain from the 2012 Iditarod celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the race. The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is an extreme sports challenge that tests the skill and endurance of competitors while celebrating Alaska’s sled dog culture and history.
Description (Brief)
This is a keychain from the 2012 Iditarod celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the race. The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is an extreme sports challenge that tests the skill and endurance of competitors while celebrating Alaska’s sled dog culture and history. Teams of 12 to 16 dogs, primarily Alaskan Huskies, and their musher experience harsh terrain and weather conditions during the 1,150 mile run from Anchorage to Nome. In its modern iteration as an extreme sport, the Iditarod takes an intense physical toll not only on the human competitors but also on the sled dogs. The race follows a large network of Native trade and travel routes which travelers used when gold was discovered in the isolated town of Iditarod. This discovery led to a “rush” of miners and settlers from across the country, transforming the trail into the region’s main mail and supply route. The area’s harsh winter conditions made sled dog teams the main source of transportation along the Iditarod Trail and it is this rich history which the Iditarod race celebrates today. In 1978 Congress designated the 2300 mile Iditarod Trail as a National Historic Trail recognizing its importance in the shaping of America. Through its beginnings as a regional story, the Iditarod provides us the opportunity to explore the American Experience through the origins of the Iditarod National Historic Trail and the transformation of the Alaskan sled dog culture into an international sport. The Iditarod is now the largest and most prominent sled dog race in the world, attracting international competitors and world-wide media attention.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2012
ID Number
2013.3036.08
nonaccession number
2013.3036
catalog number
2013.3036.08

2007 Iditarod poster

This is the official poster for the 2007 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race by the donor, Jon Van Zyle, the official artist of the Iditarod.The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is an extreme sports challenge that tests the skill and endurance of competitors while celebrating Alaska’s sled dog cu
Description (Brief)
This is the official poster for the 2007 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race by the donor, Jon Van Zyle, the official artist of the Iditarod.
The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is an extreme sports challenge that tests the skill and endurance of competitors while celebrating Alaska’s sled dog culture and history. Teams of 12 to 16 dogs, primarily Alaskan Huskies, and their musher experience harsh terrain and weather conditions during the 1,150 mile run from Anchorage to Nome. In its modern iteration as an extreme sport, the Iditarod takes an intense physical toll not only on the human competitors but also on the sled dogs. The race follows a large network of Native trade and travel routes which travelers used when gold was discovered in the isolated town of Iditarod. This discovery led to a “rush” of miners and settlers from across the country, transforming the trail into the region’s main mail and supply route. The area’s harsh winter conditions made sled dog teams the main source of transportation along the Iditarod Trail and it is this rich history which the Iditarod race celebrates today. In 1978 Congress designated the 2300 mile Iditarod Trail as a National Historic Trail recognizing its importance in the shaping of America. Through its beginnings as a regional story, the Iditarod provides us the opportunity to explore the American Experience through the origins of the Iditarod National Historic Trail and the transformation of the Alaskan sled dog culture into an international sport. The Iditarod is now the largest and most prominent sled dog race in the world, attracting international competitors and world-wide media attention.
Jon and Jona Van Zyle are both artists who live outside of Anchorage and have raised sled dogs for many years. Jon has been a supporter of the Iditarod since it beginnings and ran the race in 1976. Jon produced the first official poster for the Iditarod in 1977 which was such a huge success he was voted official artist of the Iditarod in 1979, a position he holds to this day. Jona also contributes her artistic talents to the race by designing logos for the Junior Iditarod and race cachets for the Iditarod and personal cachets for various mushers.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2007
artist
Van Zyle, Jon
ID Number
2014.0116.23
accession number
2014.0116
catalog number
2014.0116.24

Race cachet letter of Balto & Togo, 1999

This letter from the race cachet explains the history of Togo and Balto, the two famous lead dogs from the 1925 Serum Run. The donor, Jona Van Zyle, created this cachet for the Anchorage Museum of History and Art.
Description (Brief)
This letter from the race cachet explains the history of Togo and Balto, the two famous lead dogs from the 1925 Serum Run. The donor, Jona Van Zyle, created this cachet for the Anchorage Museum of History and Art. This was carried over the original Serum Run route by Colonel Norman Vaughan and his group of mushers as an educational and recreational trip to Nome. This cachet pays homage to the early history of the original purpose of the sled dog which was to provide mail and supplies for early settlers and is carried by each musher during the race.
The ‘Serum Run’ refers to the outbreak of diphtheria which hit Nome in 1925. The outbreak began just as the harbor at Nome was frozen over for the winter and while air travel was becoming more widespread in the Alaskan wilderness, the only plane available at the time had a frozen engine and was unable to fly. The Alaska Railroad was used to bring the needed anti-diphtheria serum north from Anchorage to Nenana; it traveled the last 700 miles to Nome through a chain of twenty sled dog teams in just over five days. This relay followed the old mail route along the Iditarod Trail. The sled dog teams included Leonhard Seppala and his lead dog Togo who traveled the longest leg of the relay handing off the serum to musher Gunner Kaasen and his lead dog Balto. It was Kaasen and Balto who arrived in Nome and delivered the much needed serum catapulting Balto into the history books as the most famous sled dog of all time.
Jon and Jona Van Zyle are both artists who live outside of Anchorage and have raised sled dogs for many years. Jon has been a supporter of the Iditarod since it beginnings and ran the race in 1976. Jon produced the first official poster for the Iditarod in 1977 which was such a huge success he was voted official artist of the Iditarod in 1979, a position he holds to this day. Jona also contributes her artistic talents to the race by designing logos for the Junior Iditarod and race cachets for the Iditarod and personal cachets for various mushers.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1999
artist
Van Zyle, Jona
ID Number
2014.0116.15.2
accession number
2014.0116
catalog number
2014.0116.16.2

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