Polar Almanac, for the Year of Our Lord 1854, being the Seventeenth Year of the Reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria. Printed on Board of Her Majesty’s Ship Enterprise, in Camden Bay, Latitude 70º08' North, Longitude 145º29' West,

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Creator

[Capt. Richard Collinson].

Title

Polar Almanac, for the Year of Our Lord 1854, being the Seventeenth Year of the Reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria. Printed on Board of Her Majesty’s Ship Enterprise, in Camden Bay, Latitude 70º08' North, Longitude 145º29' West,

Publisher

Camden Bay, [Alaska]: Henry Hester,

Date

[1853].

Description

Provenance: Henry Hester’s copy, with his signature on the title page.

The first book printed in Alaska, and one of only four known copies. This copy also has numerous pencil annotations, probably added at a later date by Henry Hester, the book’s printer. Hester must have taken great pride in his handiwork, as he had Jane, Lady Franklin and Queen Emma of Hawaii personally inscribe this copy. And a copy of the Almanac was lent to the Caxton Celebration in London in 1877 by Thomas Hester (perhaps this copy).

My main collecting interest is first hand accounts of Arctic voyages, but Arctic printing has always held a fascination for me as well. The extreme conditions and limited resources early amateur printers faced must have obviously presented great challenges. I missed this copy over twenty years ago and was very happy to get a second chance to acquire it.

Source

Cameron Treleaven