{"product_id":"old-alaska-steamship-co-route-railway-map-of-alaska-1917-anchorage-fairbanks-juneau-denali-np-inside-passage","title":"Old Alaska Steamship Co. Route \u0026 Railway Map, 1917: Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Denali NP, Inside Passage","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Alaska Line: When You Think Alaska - Think Alaska Steamship Co., issued in 1917 by the Poole Brothers, is a masterwork of persuasive cartography—equal parts travel poster and logistics blueprint. A bold cartouche emblazoned with the Alaska Steamship Company emblem anchors the composition, while a disciplined palette crisply separates sea lanes, railways, and resource districts. Scarlet maritime routes stitch the ragged coast into a coherent artery of movement; interior corridors converge on centers of extraction and exchange. Economically significant regions—including Nome, Fairbanks, and the storied Klondike—stand out in emphatic color, underscoring Alaska’s new-found weight in national markets. Produced at a moment when the Territory’s future hinged on transportation, the map reads as a confident argument: that modern routes could tame distance and channel the North’s abundance toward American industry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAcross the map’s blue-green littorals, the Alaska Steamship Company’s routes unfurl in red, tracing the Inside Passage past Sitka and Juneau, arcing across the Gulf to Valdez and the Cook Inlet landings that served Anchorage, and pushing onward toward the Bering coast and Nome. Each red thread implies a lifeline: ore outward from ice-bright headlands, and inward-bound flour, timber, hardware, and mail from Puget Sound. The coast is not a margin here, but a main street—harbors and roadsteads sequenced with exactitude, islands and capes marshaled into navigable order. In a single glance the viewer grasps how steamers synchronized the seasons, knit isolated settlements to schedules, and carried prospectors, tourists, and fishery cargoes along an oceanic spine that made Alaska’s frontier suddenly legible and reachable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn land, the map highlights a second, equally transformative web. The Alaska Railroad strides northward, connecting the new rail town of Anchorage with Fairbanks and the Tanana Valley, promising year-round flow where trails once stopped for winter. Equally prominent is the Copper River \u0026amp; Northwestern Railway, plotted in illuminating detail and supported by a dedicated inset that traces its hard-won path to the Kennecott mines. Telegraph lines shimmer like fine wire across the expanse, signaling the Washington–Alaska military network’s communication reach; stage routes braid in from Valdez and other coastal gateways to stitch interior camps, roadhouses, and towns. By aligning ships, rails, telegraphs, and stages, the design renders Alaska not as a blank between coasts, but as a modern grid of movement, oriented decisively toward commerce.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEconomic geography is the map’s animating theme. Kennecott, the copper titan, commands attention, its linkage to deepwater export a case study in resource choreography. Coal fields appear with purposeful emphasis, fueling steamships, smelters, and locomotives that in turn fuel settlement. The gold regions—Nome sweeping the Seward Peninsula, Fairbanks anchoring the Interior, and the Klondike still glittering just beyond the border—are ringed in assertive color, symbols of a fever that matured into organized extraction. Natural majesty doubles as infrastructure: the Yukon and Copper Rivers chart viable corridors; mountain chains delineate constraints; and the newly designated Mt. McKinley National Park signals a parallel future in tourism, drawing eyes and itineraries toward Denali’s commanding heights. The overlay of resources upon routes gives the sheet a taut, almost narrative coherence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBehind this clarity stands Poole Brothers, the Chicago studio renowned for turning transportation into desire with impeccable lithography and strategically simplified geography. Their house style—uncluttered typography, decisive color, and persuasive sightlines—serves a 1917 message: Alaska was no longer peripheral but plugged into American markets by schedule and steel. As an artifact of boosterism at its most elegant, the map ennobles towns like Juneau, Sitka, Valdez, Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Nome, situating each within a complete system of exchange. It invites the viewer to imagine cargoes, timetables, and ventures flowing through a once-remote country newly ordered by lines of passage—an enduring testament to how cartography can both depict and accelerate economic destiny.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCities and towns on this map\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnchorage — modern population: approx. 288,000\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFairbanks — modern population: approx. 32,000\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJuneau — modern population: approx. 31,000\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSitka — modern population: approx. 8,500\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNome — modern population: approx. 3,900\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eValdez — modern population: approx. 3,600\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNotable Features \u0026amp; Landmarks\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlaska Steamship Company routes depicted in red lines showing maritime paths.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCopper River \u0026amp; Northwestern Railway prominently displayed with detailed paths.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlaska Railroad highlighted, connecting major urban and resource areas.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInset map showing detailed topography of the Copper River \u0026amp; Northwestern Railway.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNatural landmarks such as Mt. McKinley National Park (Denali) and various coal fields for mineral resources.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTelegraph lines and stage routes marked, indicating communication and transport networks.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEconomically significant regions outlined in red, including Nome, Fairbanks, and Klondike gold regions.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKennecott, notable for its copper mines, emphasizing the role of mining in the region's economy.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHistorical and design context\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMap Title: The Alaska Line: When You Think Alaska - Think Alaska Steamship Co.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCreator: Poole Brothers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDate of Creation: 1917\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map features a bold cartouche with the Alaska Steamship Company emblem.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProminent use of color to highlight routes and significant regions, enhancing visual clarity.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRepresents transportation networks crucial for the economic development of Alaska in the early 20th century.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHighlights efforts to connect remote areas of Alaska to national markets, supporting its resource-rich economy.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThemes and Topics: maritime routes operated by the Alaska Steamship Company; key land routes such as the Copper River \u0026amp; Northwestern Railway and the Alaska Railroad; economic significance of regions in Alaska, including copper mining and coal fields.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlease double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 100in (250cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please \u003ca href=\"\/es\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eget in touch\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePlease note: the labels on this map are hard to read if you order a map that is 16in (40cm) or smaller. The map is still very attractive, but if you would like to read the map easily, please buy a larger size.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) version of this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the \u003ca href=\"\/es\/collections\/all-old-vintage-antique-maps\"\u003ebest old maps\u003c\/a\u003e to see if something else catches your eye.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlease \u003ca href=\"\/es\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003econtact me\u003c\/a\u003e to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex\/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Unique Maps Co.","offers":[{"title":"18x24in (45x60cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58033162551680,"sku":"UM00276974A","price":139.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"18x24in (45x60cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58033162584448,"sku":"UM00276975A","price":303.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"18x24in (45x60cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58033162617216,"sku":"UM00276976A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A2 (420x594mm) \/ Map","offer_id":58033162649984,"sku":"UM00276977A","price":139.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A2 (420x594mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58033162682752,"sku":"UM00276978A","price":303.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A2 (420x594mm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58033162715520,"sku":"UM00276979A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"20x28in (50x70cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58033162748288,"sku":"UM00276980A","price":158.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"20x28in (50x70cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58033162781056,"sku":"UM00276981A","price":455.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"20x28in (50x70cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58033162813824,"sku":"UM00276982A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"24x36in (60x90cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58033162846592,"sku":"UM00276983A","price":167.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"24x36in (60x90cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58033162879360,"sku":"UM00276984A","price":455.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"24x36in (60x90cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58033162912128,"sku":"UM00276985A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A1 (594x841mm) \/ Map","offer_id":58033162944896,"sku":"UM00276986A","price":167.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A1 (594x841mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58033162977664,"sku":"UM00276987A","price":455.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A1 (594x841mm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58033163010432,"sku":"UM00276988A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"28x40in (70x100cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58033163043200,"sku":"UM00276989A","price":218.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"28x40in (70x100cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58033163075968,"sku":"UM00276990A","price":625.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"28x40in (70x100cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58033163108736,"sku":"UM00276991A","price":625.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"30x40in (75x100cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58033163141504,"sku":"UM00276992A","price":218.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"30x40in (75x100cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58033163174272,"sku":"UM00276993A","price":625.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"30x40in (75x100cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58033163207040,"sku":"UM00276994A","price":625.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A0 (841x1189mm) \/ Map","offer_id":58033163239808,"sku":"UM00276995A","price":313.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A0 (841x1189mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58033163272576,"sku":"UM00276996A","price":1449.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A0 (841x1189mm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58033163305344,"sku":"UM00276997A","price":1363.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"37x50in (94x127cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58033163338112,"sku":"UM00276998A","price":436.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"37x50in (94x127cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58033163370880,"sku":"UM00276999A","price":1761.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"37x50in (94x127cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58033163403648,"sku":"UM00277000A","price":1657.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"45x60in (114x150cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58033163436416,"sku":"UM00277001A","price":578.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"45x60in (114x150cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58033163469184,"sku":"UM00277002A","price":2651.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"45x60in (114x150cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58033163501952,"sku":"UM00277003A","price":2461.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"52x70in (132x178cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58033163534720,"sku":"UM00277004A","price":975.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"52x70in (132x178cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58033163567488,"sku":"UM00277005A","price":3550.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"52x70in (132x178cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58033163600256,"sku":"UM00277006A","price":3313.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/0344\/8638\/files\/file_74e644e3-8f3a-463f-939a-94e007b0af48.jpg?v=1777929709","url":"https:\/\/uniquemaps.ca\/es\/products\/old-alaska-steamship-co-route-railway-map-of-alaska-1917-anchorage-fairbanks-juneau-denali-np-inside-passage","provider":"The Unique Maps Co.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}