1913 Photo Album of a Month-Long Trip to "Camp Welcome", Saw Mill Bay in Prince William Sound, Alaska
1913. Original wraps. Wonderful album documenting a month-long camping, hunting and fishing trip (started on June 12th, 1913) among several dozen American friends (mostly couples) at "Camp Welcome" in Saw Mill Bay, Prince William Sound, Alaska. Now a popular tourist destination, Saw Mill Bay was clearly very remote at the time (this trip having taken place almost 50 years before Alaska gained statehood) and was chosen by this group for its scenic beauty and seclusion. Dozens of crisp, pasted-in black-and-white photos (most with running captions) capture the group in its various stages of engagement (or non). 2 separate ships ("S.S. Restless" and "Visators Day"), which between them stopped at Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Cordova, Alaska and Valdez, Alaska, delivered the entire group to Camp Welcome by June 12th. We know this because of the "Camp Welcome Visators (sic) Register", a full page listing all of the campers. Preceding this is a full-page menu for June 5th 1913 ("Camp Welcome Grill") and following it is 2 dense, typed pages of fun running commentary by Mr. G. Fawcett and E.W. Hunt. The album is bound in its ribbon-tied, stiff black wrappers and consists of 14 separate pages (all packed with photos and commentary) and a stiff beige re-inforcement at the rear panel. The oblong album (which measures 10 1/4"x7") is clean and crisp and has held up very nicely. This is largely because of the handsome custom-made, oatmeal-cloth box which was designed to house it. The box is tight and Near Fine and even boasts a red-leather title label (with gilt-tooling and lettering) at the spine. And finally, pasted onto the front cover of the album, a neat, typed heading which reads: "'Camp Welcome' Saw Mill Bay, Alaska. June 12th 1913. Here's to 'Camp Welcome', a place of good cheer, For even the 'Restless' must needs tarry here; Since we know that our 'BATH TUB' supplied a long need, We are glad that you used it, in return for the 'FEED'. 'RESTLESS CREW'" Very Good +. Item #13918
Price: $1,500.00