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Pioneers by Max W. Kollm Pyrography on caribou skin Approx. 76 inches by 58 inches Image courtesy of Raymond and Mary Bunker

Pioneers, detail of the three figures and dogs around the camp fire by Max W. Kollm Pyrography on caribou skin Approx. 76 inches by 58 inches Image courtesy of Raymond and Mary Bunker

Pioneers, detail of two figures, three dogs, hatchet in log, and moon over trees by Max W. Kollm Pyrography on caribou skin Approx. 76 inches by 58 inches Image courtesy of Raymond and Mary Bunker

Pioneers, detail of third figure, equipment, snowshoes by Max W. Kollm Pyrography on caribou skin Approx. 76 inches by 58 inches Image courtesy of Raymond and Mary Bunker

Pioneers, detail of the signature by Max W. Kollm Inscription on lower right: "Pioneers" By : Max W. Kollm Dawson – Fairbanks Pyrography on caribou skin Approx. 76 inches by 58 inches Image courtesy of Raymond and Mary Bunker

Pioneers, detail of the signature by Max W. Kollm Inscription on lower right: "Pioneers" By : Max W. Kollm Dawson – Fairbanks Pyrography on caribou skin Approx. 76 inches by 58 inches Image courtesy of Raymond and Mary Bunker

Pioneers, detail of the signature by Max W. Kollm Inscription on lower right: "Pioneers" By : Max W. Kollm Dawson – Fairbanks Pyrography on caribou skin Approx. 76 inches by 58 inches Image courtesy of Raymond and Mary Bunker

Pioneers, detail of figure on right by Max W. Kollm Pyrography on caribou skin Approx. 76 inches by 58 inches Image courtesy of Raymond and Mary Bunker

Pioneers, detail of two figures and dogs on left by Max W. Kollm Pyrography on moosehide Approx. 76 inches by 58 inches Image courtesy of Raymond and Mary Bunker

Americans Raymond and Mary Bunker acquired this exquisite "Pioneers" caribou skin by Max Kollm about fifty years ago. It is very unusual, unique so far as the E-Museum has seen, not only because it is on caribou skin rather than moosehide as his other pyrography works have been, but also because of its subject matter and elaborately detailed scene. This one, which, as the Bunkers describe, "...depicts three French trappers around a campsite with three dogs, camp fire, dog sled, moon, smoke, and lots of trees," presents a very different and sympathetic narrative of the people who explored the great Alaska wilderness—in this scene French trappers rather than the absent gold miners of the "Reclamation" theme or the also popular "Alaska souvenir" works.

Not too much is known of the Gold Rush artists like Max W. Kollm. In his case, it was known that he left Dawson for Fairbanks in 1909, and perhaps that is the date of this work. It is curious that the word 'Fairbanks' in the signature block in the lower right hand corner is so faint compared to all of the rest. Also curious is how the title "Pioneers" is written there.

Max Kollm's work was featured previously in the Alaska exhibit here in the E-Museum, as well as in Pyrograffiti in the March–April 2002 issue of the Woodcarvers Online Magazine.

In celebration of Alaska's Gold Rush Centennial, The University of Alaska Museum in Fairbanks offered a Special Exhibit entitled, "Burned Into Memory: Images of Alaska Through Historic Pyrography." That exhibit, which ran from 2 February to 24 March 2002, was a tribute to the artists whose moosehide and Birch bark pieces of 100 years ago recorded for posterity images of Alaska at the time of the Gold Rush.

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