c. 1903-1930
Portrait of an Eskimo woman.
Image: Library of Congress
In 1903, at the height of the Northern gold rush, the Lomen family of Minnesota relocated to Nome, Alaska. Rather than pan for gold, they sought other commercial opportunities in the booming Alaskan economy.
Within a few years, the family owned a men’s clothing store, pharmacy, stationary store, shipping company, a local photography studio and the Lomen Reindeer Corporation.
The father, Gutbrand, acted as a local attorney as well as the Norwegian Vice Consul. One of his sons, Ralph, was the chief of police. His brother, Henry, acted as the photography studio’s manager while another Lomen boy, Alfred, was the primary photographer. Read more…
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