Bus 142: The Life of Objects

The More You Look

The stampede trail bus, or Bus 142 has come to the UA Museum of the North. The bus was made famous by the death of Christopher McCandless, John Krakauer’s book, Into the Wild, and the subsequent movie of the same name.

The condition of the bus when it was removed from the trail and the process of preparing any object for exterior exhibition at the museum mandates professional conservation of the object. Midway through this process at the UAF Engineering Department’s High Bay, UAMN Exhibits Director, Roger Topp, spoke with then Museum Bus Conservation Project Manager, Della Hall and Project Director and Museum Senior Collections Manager for Ethnology and History, Angela Linn about the process and project management to that point. The surprises. The frustrations. The unexpected but inspiring dialog that comes from caring for and exhibiting an object steeped in controversy and point of view.

The More You Look is a production of the UA Museum of the North, on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the ancestral lands of the Dena people of the lower Tanana River. UAMN illuminates the natural history and cultural heritage of Alaska and the North through collections, research, education, and partnerships, and by creating a singular museum experience that honors diverse knowledge and respect for the land and its peoples.