Sketch Book Page

William S. Blood Sketch Book containing 8 pages of meticulous pencil drawings.

William Blood, a young man from Nottingham, Ohio, was one of many men who traveled to Kotzebue Sound in the late 1800s to go prospecting up the Kobuk River. His first diary entry is dated May 19, 1898, when the schooner he was a passenger on was towed from the wharf in Seattle and he set off on his journey. The last entry is on May 26, 1899, a day when the river was clear of ice and the weather was fine. Blood's excellent sketch book drawings depict Alaska Natives and their clothing, personal adornment, hunting tools, and means of transportation, providing us with valuable information about everyday life in Northwest Alaska.