[Annotated Vernacular Photograph Album Documenting an Excursion Through Alberta, British Columbia, and Alaska by a Bostonian]

[Various locations, mostly in Canada and Alaska, 1914. Very good plus.. [36] leaves, illustrated with 147 vernacular photographs and real photo postcards, almost all with manuscript captions written in white pencil. Oblong quarto. Contemporary black textured cloth with "Photographs" in gilt on front cover, and with handwritten caption in white pencil, reading "1914 July 16 August 31." Minor wear to covers. Contents clean, with easily-readable captions. A well-annotated vernacular photograph album assembled by F.A. Patterson of Arlington Heights, Massachusetts, documenting his or her travels through western Canada and Alaska just prior to World War I. The album opens with a small printed map of North America with the route Patterson took from "Boston to Alaska" between July 16 and August 31, 1914. The photographs begin with thirteen leaves featuring scenes in Ontario and Alberta, including scenes of Lake Huron, St. Mary's River, Sault Ste. Marie, Winnipeg, "Ontario farms," Banff (the town, wildlife, mountain scenes, and more), Lake Minnewanka, Lake Louise, Laggan, Valley of the Ten Peaks, Morain Lake, and more. The album then moves westward to British Columbia and other points, then northwestward to Alaska for most of the remainder of the album. The westward photos open with scenes of the Illecillewaet Glacier, Meeting of the Waters, Trail Glacier, and other locations in British Columbia. Scenes in Victoria picture various gardens, Parliament, Hotel Empress, Chinese Bell, and more. The scenes in Alaska begin with views of Taku Glacier and other scenes in and around Juneau. Other Alaskan images feature Lake Bennett, several scenes in White Pass (a view toward Skagway, abandoned buildings, Pitchfork Falls), Sitka (the harbor, a "Russian Greek Church," a view of the town, "Old Russian Black House," several totem poles including a "Totem Pole Patch," two angles of an "Old Russian Trading Post"), and more. A particularly interesting pair of images of two buildings pictures what is left of Bennett, Alaska, which is captioned: "Formerly 5000 population. Now 4 houses. One occupied. August 5th 1914." The final few pages of Alaskan images features an Indian Village in Killisnoo and another in Hunter Bay, as well as a close-up view of a group of indigenous peoples in Hunter Bay. The last five leaves capture scenes in Salt Lake City, Utah and Colorado (mostly Pike's Peak and Royal Gorge).