Just over 140 years ago, the United States made one of the greatest land deals of all time, purchasing from Russia a massive piece of property near the Arctic Circle. Since then, the land known as Alaska has been the site of a gold rush and an oil boom, but even those great events comprise only a small portion of what makes America's largest and most northern state a place that continues to capture the imagination and the hearts of residents and visitors alike.
Historic Photos of Alaska portrays the majesty, the history, and the awe-inspiring beauty of this unique section of America through rarely seen, stunning, black-and-white photographs selected from local, state, and national collections.
Climb the snow-filled Chilkoot Pass with gold-seekers. Hunt with Native tribesmen. See cities like Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau grow from a cluster of tents and wooden shacks. Stand with American soldiers as they repel the only invasion of North America during World War II. Observe the engineering feat of constructing the trans-Alaska oil pipeline through frozen wilderness. Marvel at pristine natural beauty, celebrate the long-awaited statehood, and witness the incredible destruction wrought by the 1964 earthquake, in this unique collection of historic photographs.
