Bronze bas-relief panel, “Treaty of Cession,” commemorating the signing of the Alaska Treaty of Cession by US Secretary of State William Henry Seward, March 30, 1867, that purchased Russian America. Photograph courtesy of Hilary Hilscher, Lynn Maier, and Pat Garley.
Join us for a Cook Inlet Historical Society lecture series event.
Where: In person at the Anchorage Museum Auditorium or online via Crowdcast.
To register for the online event, click here. No registration required if attending in person.
Free and open to the public. Please use the museum’s 7th Avenue entrance.
Speakers: Hilary Hilscher, Lynn Maier & Pat Garley
In December 1976, members of the Cook Inlet Historical Society and the Anchorage Historical and Fine Arts Museum attended a private showing of the country’s largest bas-relief art project, four-years in the making. The twenty sculpted murals adorned the mezzanine of Anchorage’s Alaska Mutual Savings Banks on the corner of 5th and F. Guests received the book, “A Parade of Alaska History,” written by Alaskan authors and historians, Herb and Miriam Hilscher, which recounts the events depicted in the panels created by well-known sculptors James Tapscott of Anchorage and John Svenson from California. These murals were intended to be a permanent and lasting contribution to Alaskans, visitors, and as art of the Western world. Just thirteen years later, however, the fate of this monumental undertaking took a dramatic turn.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Jim Tapscott’s daughter, Lynn Maier, and the Hilscher’s daughter Hilary—who were classmates at West Anchorage High—will present their quest to see their parents’ legacy preserved. They’ll be joined by noted Alaskan bronze artist Pat Garley, who is skillfully restoring these exquisite murals to their original grandeur.
This is an event in the 2025-2026 Cook Inlet Historical Society Speaker Series. These presentations are virtual, free, and open to the public via Crowdcast; the same link can be used to review the recorded event after the program conclusion. Those attending in person should use the 7 th Avenue entrance to access the auditorium.