Rare, antiquarian, used & out-of-print books on Alaska, including travel, voyages and natural history, at Horizon.

BALLOU, Maturin M.; The New Eldorado, a Summer Journey to Alaska. Boston and New York, Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1889, First edition, 12mo [20 x 13.5 cm]; x, 352, [viii, ads] pp, original pictorial cloth, gilt title lettering on spine and cover, edge lightly rubbed, else a fine clean copy, presentation inscription from the author.

Ricks p33 cites this 1st edition of 1889. A narrative of the author's travels by rail, boat, etc, with description of the various places he passed through including Yellowstone Park, Grand Canyon, geysers, Mount Tacoma, Vancouver Island, steamship to Alaska, Cook's Inlet, forests, animal life, seals, hunting, climate, gambling in Alaska, native people, schools, Fort Wrangel, native dwellings, mastodons in Alaska, glaciers, bears, salmon, Glacier Bay, Sitka, contrast to Russian Sitka, Prince of Wales Island, Rocky mountains, etc. An attractive copy for the first edition, inscribed from the author

US$100. bookID # 11245


BARNARD, E. C., J. J. McArthur, O. H. Tittmann, W. F. King; Joint Report Upon the Survey and Demarcation of the International Boundary Between the United States and Canada along the 141st Meridian from the Arctic Ocean to Mount St. Elias. Washington, [Department of State], 1918, First edition, 4to [31 x 23.5 cm]; 305 pp, 2 folding maps, 6 folding panoramas from photos, charts and sketches, numerous illus, index, tables, original green cloth with gilt lettering on front cover and spine and gilt map on front cover, light foxing on two leaves but a clean solid near fine copy, there was an atlas of maps sometimes found, not included here.

Ricks p. 128. Wickersham 9375. A very well-illustrated survey of the border between Alaska and Canada.

US$290. bookID # 6068


BEGG, Alexander; History of British Columbia from its Earliest Discovery to the Present Time. Toronto, William Briggs, 1894, First edition, 8vo [22.5 x 15.5 cm]; xvii, [i], [i, errata page], [7]-568 pp, frontis portrait with tissue guard, 118 illustrations including many portraits, large colored folding map at rear [tears at folds], extra tinted lithographed plate of Cape Mosman BC at end, original brown cloth, gilt title lettering on spine and cover, gilt BC coat of arms on front cover, and seal on spine, bookplate of Alexander Douglas [writer to the Signet] on endpaper, lightly toned in some margins but a clean fine copy.

Watters 652. Lowther 1097: 'A popular account which contains numerous quotations from pioneer journals and letters'. Lande 945. The author was a journalist, civil servant and emigration commissioner who persuaded many Scots to settle in Canada, was also a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and helped to define border between Canada and Alaska.

US$75. bookID # 11008


BROWER, Kenneth, photos by Pete Martin, Wilbur Mills, John P. Milton, Gilbert Staender; Earth and the Great Weather: The Brooks Range. San Francisco, Friends of the Earth, McCall Publishing Company, [1973], First Edition, folio [36 x 27 cm]; 188 pp, 59 fine color plates, other illustrations by photos and drwgs, pictorial eps, with the errata slip inserted loose at page 25, usually lacking, original cloth, dj, fine.

Travels and fine photos in Northern Alaska, with observations of Eskimo life and lore.

US$5. bookID # 3352


BURPEE, Lawrence J. (editor); Canadian Geographical Journal, Vol. I, No. 5, September 1930. Ottawa, Montreal, The Canadian Geographical Society, 1930, First edition, 8vo [26 x 17 cm]; viii, 363-464, ix-x pp, numerous illustrations, mostly from photos, including full-page, colored plates, maps including colored map of Canada forestry, original heavy paper printed wraps, title and design on front cover, light cover mark, clean and near fine.

Well-illustrated articles including Unto the Hills by R. Brian Meredith, on the Canadian Rockies with colored paintings by Charles W. Simpson; Green Gold by D. Roy Cameron, on logging and forestry in Canada; Colonization in Quebec by E. M. Kindle; Roof of the World by B. G. Radley, on Himalayas; Where BC ends and Alaska Begins, by Reece Hague, etc. Interesting ads with illustrations.

US$5. bookID # 13590


CHUNG, In_Cho; The Arctic and Rockies as Seen by a Botanist; Pictorial. Williamsport, Pennsylvania, by the author, 1984, First edition, published in only 500 copies, 4to [26 x 18 cm]; 343 pp, 2 tipped-in errata sheets at end, 574 fine colored photo illustrations, detailed bibliog, index, map endpapers, original cloth, gilt lettering on spine and cover, original slipcase with title lettering, not issued with a dust jacket, flat signed by the author on the title page, clean and fine, unmarked.

Fine photos of vegetation and plants from the Rockies, from the Brooks Range of Alaska, through the Yukon and south to Colorado, and from the Arctic, mainly south of the 75th parallel of latitude including Baffin, Victoria and Banks islands and northern Alaska. Valuable for its many fine photos and descriptions

US$160. bookID # 12327


EDWARDS, William Seymour; In To the Yukon. Cincinnati, The Robert Clarke Company, 1904, First edition, 8vo [20 x 14 cm]; xii, [13] - 312pp, frontis, numerous illustrations on plates from photos, original pictorial cloth, gilt title lettering on spine and cover, tiny hole in internal hinge, a clean fine copy.

Wickersham 3914. A narrative of travel in a series of letters from the Great Lakes to St. Paul, Winnipeg, Banff, Vancouver, Skagway, Atlin, down the Yukon to Dawson and the Klondike, where the author describes the people, prospectors, dogs, searching for gold, etc, and his return via Seattle, Williamette, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Denver and Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, all of which are described.

US$160. bookID # 10382


GRIGGS, Robert F.; The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. Washington, The National Geographic Society, 1922, First Edition, large 8vo [26 x 18 cm]; xv, 341 pp, folding panorama frontis, profusion of illustrations & plates, including 16 color plates, 9 maps, including 2 folding, index, original pictorial gilt cloth, gilt title lettering on spine and cover, cover lightly rubbed, interior is clean and fine in very good+ cover.

The classic study of volcanos in Alaska. Excellent illustrations.

US$30. bookID # 11091


HEALY, M. A.; Report of the Cruise of the Revenue Marine Steamer Corwin in the Arctic Ocean in the Year 1885. Washington, Government Printing Office, House of Representatives ex doc 153, 1887, First edition, 4to [29.5 x 23.5 cm]; 102 pp, 2 large folding maps, 4 color lithographed (chromolithograph) plates (birds, fish, plant), 67 illustrations on 38 plates, contemporary full calf, gilt title lettering on leather spine labels, joints split and loosening, corner wear, else very good, interior quite clean and fine.

Ricks 118. Wickersham 7596. Arctic Bibliography 18401: 'Corwin's cruise in Bering and Chukchi Seas, giving aid to natives and ship-wrecked whalers, patrolling the fur seal islands and visiting Bogoslof Island; dispatching exploratory parties to complete the survey of Kowak (Kobuk) River and explore the Noatak River.' Also included are reports by J. C. Cantwell on the exploration of the Kowak River, Alaska; S. B. McLenegan on Noatak river; C. H. Townsend on natural history and ethnology on northern Alaska, with lists and descriptions of birds, mammals, fishes, plants found.

US$150. bookID # 8483


JAMES, Bushrod W.; Alaskana or Alaska in Descriptive and Legendary Poems. Philadelphia, Porter & Coates, 1893, second edition, expanded with additional legends, 12mo [19.5 x 13 cm]; [ii], 402 pp, frontis, plates from photos, appendix, original pictorial gilt decorated cloth, all edges gilted, spine bit darkened, fine.

Nicely illustrated. Ricks p. 130. Wickersham 5337. Smith 5103.

US$18. bookID # 5052


NELSON, Edward W.; Report upon Natural History Collections Made in Alaska Between the Years 1877 and 1881. Washington, Government Printing Office, 1887, First Edition, 4to [30 x 23.5 cm]; 337 pp, 21 plates, including 12 color lithographs (chromolithographs) of birds, 9 plates of fish; the color bird plates are from Ridgway's paintings, original cloth, light wear to extremities, repair to corner of front free endpaper, slight adhesion to one plate, very good copy with bright chromolithograph plates.

Arctic Bibliography 12183. In four parts including birds with a bibliography of Alaskan ornithology, mammals of northern Alaska, field notes on Alaskan fishes, report on diurnal Lepidoptera collected in Alaska, plus author's narrative. H. W. Henshaw revised the part on birds and T. H. Bean, W. H. Edwards and F. W. True also contributed. Arctic Bibliography 12183. Nissen 673. Hasse p. 55. Ricks 161. Wood 489.

US$130. bookID # 2782


NELSON, Edward W.; Report upon Natural History Collections Made in Alaska Between the Years 1877 and 1881. Washington, Government Printing Office, 1887, First Edition, 4to [30 x 23.5 cm]; 337 pp, 21 plates, including 12 color lithographs (chromolithographs) of birds, 9 plates of fish; the color bird plates are from Ridgway's paintings, original cloth, outer joint split, small hold in one text page (with loss of few letters), some plates damp stained in margin, else clean copy, overall very good.

Arctic Bibliography 12183. In four parts including birds with a bibliography of Alaskan ornithology, mammals of northern Alaska, field notes on Alaskan fishes, report on diurnal Lepidoptera collected in Alaska, plus author's narrative. H. W. Henshaw revised the part on birds and T. H. Bean, W. H. Edwards and F. W. True also contributed. Arctic Bibliography 12183. Nissen 673. Hasse p. 55. Ricks 161. Wood 489.

US$170. bookID # 8475


SIMPSON, Thomas; Narrative of the Discoveries on the North Coast of America; effected by the Officers of the Hudson's Bay Company During the Years 1836-39. London, Richard Bentley, 1843, First edition, 8vo [23 x 15 cm]; xix, 419 pp 3 folding maps on two sheets, two maps hand colored in outline, half red morocco and matching red boards, raised bands, gilt spine title lettering, front joint cracked & repaired, bookplates of Francis Hagner and Andrew Taylor, polar archivist, interior clean and near fine.

TPL 2315. Streeter 3709. Hill p274. Field 1411. Wagner-Camp 101. Arctic Bibliography 16124: 'Contains biographical sketch of the author with comment on the mystery of his death by his brother, narrative of expedition of Peter Dease and Thomas Simpson with party of twelve men to explore the northern coast of America from Mackenzie River westward and from Coppermine River eastward to Back River. Contains the journey from Fort Garry (Winnipeg) to Fort Chipewyan; descent of the Slave and Mackenzie [Rivers], etc.; discovering Boothia (now Simpson) Strait; exploration of the southern coast of Boothia Peninsula and Victoria Island. Includes detailed remarks on geographic features along the routes, weather and travel conditions; the Indians and Eskimos of the Mackenzie, northern Alaska and Coppermine regions'. An appendix lists about 150 plants collected along the coast between Coppermine River and Point Turn again, 1838, with reference to literature by Sir W. J. Hooker, eminent botanist, magnetic variation and dip observed by Simpson. Besides the maps called for in the book there are several contemporary maps, mounted on rear endpapers, including two maps taken from the Times of November 1st and 2nd, 1876 relating to the Nares Arctic expedition in the Alert and Discovery with two pages of text on same; and a folding map of the Arctic regions showing the route of the Captain Austin expedition, undated but nineteenth century, entitled Map of

US$1800. bookID # 12732


STAENDER, Vivian, photos by Gilbert Staender, drawings by Frank Staender; Adventures with Arctic Wildlife. Caldwell, Idaho, The Caxton Printers, 1970, First edition, 8vo [23.5 x 16 cm]; [ii], 260 pp, over 150 illustrations including color from photos, glossary, bibliog, index, original cloth, dj (price clipped, small hole), fine and clean in vg dj.

Interesting observations on wildlife, including animals, fish, plants, based on extensive travels through Alaska. The work is also a how-to manual complete with the author's list of equipment and supplies. List of birds found.

US$15. bookID # 8029


STEPHENSON, William B.; The Land of Tomorrow. New York, George H. Doran Company, 1919, First Edition, sm 8vo; xviii, 19 - 240 pp, frontis, illus, original pictorial cloth, rubbing at edges, corners worn, good clean copy.

Wicks 210; Wickersham 2228. Travels through Alaska, describing nature, conditions, geology, people, etc.

US$5. bookID # 1504


TURNER, L. M.; Contributions to the Natural History of Alaska; Results of Investigations made Chiefly in the Yukon District and the Aleutian Islands, Conducted Under the Auspices of the Signal Service of the US Army, from May 1874 to August 1881. Washington, Government Printing Office, 1886, First edition, 4to [30 x 23 cm]; 226 pp, 26 plates, including 11 fine color lithographs (chromolithographs) of birds from Ridgway's paintings, others of fish (complete), tables, original cloth, with gilt spine title lettering, cover slightly marked, spine trifle faded, clean near fine copy, the plates in good impressions and with tissue guards.

An important contribution covering meteorology, plants, listing over 800 species; fish, listing 47 species from Bering Sea and Aleutian waters; birds, annotated listing of 172 species with another list of 269 species; mammals, listing 69 species including dolphins and whales, and with excellent plates. Bennet 107, whose copy only had 10 color plates: 'The ten finely colored plates all appear in part V... They show Alaskan birds and were the work of R. and J. L. Ridgway'. Ricks 222. Hasse p. 78. Wood 605.

US$170. bookID # 8476


How to Order

Other Polar books.

Return to the Main Travel Menu.

Return to Horizon Books' Home Page.

Return to Horizon Books' Home Page.