ALASKA, AND MISSIONS ON THE NORTH PACIFIC COAST Rev. Sheldon Jackson, D.D. |
Dodd, Mead & Company, New York, 1880 True First Printing — Fold-Out Coast Survey Map
Present — Frothingham Library Provenance
ABOUT THIS COPY
This is a confirmed true first printing of Sheldon Jackson’s landmark 1880 work on Alaska,
published by Dodd, Mead & Company, New York. The first printing is identified by its 327-page
pagination — the later 1884 printing ran to 400 pages. Copyright page reads: “Copyright, 1880,
By Dodd, Mead & Company.”
Most importantly, this copy retains its original fold-out map: “Alaska and Adjoining Region —
From the Charts of the U.S. Coast Survey — 1879.” The map is a large, double-panel fold-out in
excellent condition — clean, bright, with strong color on the Bering Sea and Polar Sea regions,
and no tears or significant staining. This map is the single most important element of a complete
copy of this book and is frequently missing from copies that come to market.
The frontispiece engraved portrait of Rev. Sheldon Jackson, D.D., is present with its original
tissue guard. Wood engravings are present throughout the text, including depictions of Alaska
Native peoples, their customs, and missionary activities.
This copy was acquired directly from the personal library of Robert Frothingham (1865–1937)
at his family home on Sacandaga Lake, New York. The preface page bears Frothingham’s
initials in his hand.
WHO WAS ROBERT FROTHINGHAM?
Robert Frothingham (1865–1937) was a prominent New York literary figure, anthologist, and
outdoors writer. He compiled the celebrated “Songs of” anthology series for Houghton Mifflin,
including Songs of Men (1918), Songs of Dogs (1920), Songs of Horses (1920), and Songs of
the Sea and Sailors’ Chanteys (1924). He was personally connected to writers including
Christopher Morley and Joseph Conrad. His signature is preserved in the permanent collection
of the Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas at Austin, as part of the Greenwich Village
Bookshop Door archive. Frothingham maintained a personal library at his home on Sacandaga
Lake, New York, from which this book comes directly.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Sheldon Jackson (1834–1909) was one of the most consequential figures in the history of
Alaska. A Presbyterian minister and missionary, he was appointed the first General Agent of
Education in Alaska by the U.S. government in 1885 and served until 1906. He founded schools,
missions, and churches throughout the territory, introduced domesticated reindeer from Siberia
to combat famine among Alaska Native peoples, and built the Sheldon Jackson Museum in
Sitka — the oldest museum in Alaska, still operating today.
Alaska, and Missions on the North Pacific Coast was his first major book, written while the
territory was still largely unknown to most Americans. It blends firsthand observation of Alaska’s
geography and natural resources with detailed accounts of Alaska Native cultures, customs, and
religious practices, and the early history of Christian missionary work in the region. It remains a
primary historical source for 19th-century Alaska.
The book was published just thirteen years after the United States purchased Alaska from
Russia in 1867 — at a time when most Americans had never heard of the place. Jackson was
one of the first Americans to document the territory in depth for a general audience.
PHYSICAL CONDITION
Binding: Original terra cotta/rust-red pictorial cloth with black and gilt illustrations of a totem
pole, dogsled, and kayak on front board and spine. Honest wear to corners and spine ends
consistent with age (146 years old). Cloth shows some rubbing and fading.
Spine: Gilt lettering “Alaska / Sheldon Jackson / Dodd Mead & Co.” readable; some fading
to gilt.
Front board: Pictorial decorations (totem pole, kayak, dogsled) visible and legible.
Frontispiece: Engraved portrait of Rev. Sheldon Jackson, D.D., present with tissue guard.
Fold-Out Map: “Alaska and Adjoining Region, From the Charts of the U.S. Coast Survey,
1879” — PRESENT. Excellent condition. No tears. Color bright. Folds clean.
Pages: Some age tanning consistent with period paper. Light foxing in places. Some
dampness staining to lower corners of front endpapers — noted honestly.
Provenance: Frothingham initials in ink on preface page.
Pagination: 327pp — confirmed true first printing.
No dust jacket — as issued.
Overall grade: Good+ (binding wear; interior and map excellent for age)