The 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.

Across 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.

On 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 & 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.

Economic 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.

Behind 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.

Cities and towns on this map

• Anchorage — modern population: approx. 288,000
• Fairbanks — modern population: approx. 32,000
• Juneau — modern population: approx. 31,000
• Sitka — modern population: approx. 8,500
• Nome — modern population: approx. 3,900
• Valdez — modern population: approx. 3,600

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Alaska Steamship Company routes depicted in red lines showing maritime paths.
• Copper River & Northwestern Railway prominently displayed with detailed paths.
• Alaska Railroad highlighted, connecting major urban and resource areas.
• Inset map showing detailed topography of the Copper River & Northwestern Railway.
• Natural landmarks such as Mt. McKinley National Park (Denali) and various coal fields for mineral resources.
• Telegraph lines and stage routes marked, indicating communication and transport networks.
• Economically significant regions outlined in red, including Nome, Fairbanks, and Klondike gold regions.
• Kennecott, notable for its copper mines, emphasizing the role of mining in the region's economy.

Historical and design context

• Map Title: The Alaska Line: When You Think Alaska - Think Alaska Steamship Co.
• Creator: Poole Brothers
• Date of Creation: 1917
• The map features a bold cartouche with the Alaska Steamship Company emblem.
• Prominent use of color to highlight routes and significant regions, enhancing visual clarity.
• Represents transportation networks crucial for the economic development of Alaska in the early 20th century.
• Highlights efforts to connect remote areas of Alaska to national markets, supporting its resource-rich economy.
• Themes and Topics: maritime routes operated by the Alaska Steamship Company; key land routes such as the Copper River & Northwestern Railway and the Alaska Railroad; economic significance of regions in Alaska, including copper mining and coal fields.

Please 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.

This 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.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 100in (250cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

Please 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.

The model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) version of this map.

The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.

If you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the best old maps to see if something else catches your eye.

Please contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.

This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.

This 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.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.

Many of our maps and art prints are chosen as thoughtful gifts for homes, offices, studies and meaningful places.

Choose a framed option for the easiest ready-to-hang gift, or choose an unframed print if the recipient may prefer to select their own frame.

We make orders locally in 23 countries around the world, so gifts can often be produced close to the recipient. This helps them arrive faster, travel more safely, and avoid customs or import duty surprises.

• We can deliver directly to the recipient
• Framed pieces arrive ready to hang
• Unframed prints are carefully packed in a strong protective tube
• Almost every order is made locally, for faster, safer gifting
• 90-day returns give the recipient time to decide

If you are not sure what to choose, please contact us. We can help you pick the right map, size, finish or delivery option.

Most orders are made locally and delivered in around 2–3 working days, depending on the product, size and destination.

We print and frame maps and artwork in 23 countries around the world, so your order is usually made close to you or your recipient. That means faster delivery, less time in transit, and no customs or import duty surprises.

Personalised and customised pieces usually take an extra 1–2 working days, because we prepare your design and send it to you for approval before printing.

Very large framed orders can take a little longer, as they need extra care in production and delivery.

Every order is carefully packaged: unframed prints are sent in a strong protective tube, while framed pieces are securely packed with protective materials around the frame.

If you need your order by a particular date, please contact us before ordering. We’ll check the best production route and delivery option for your location.

Express delivery is available at checkout for most countries. Next-day delivery is available in the UK, US, Singapore and the UAE.

Your order is covered by our 90-day returns policy and 5-year guarantee.

Read our full delivery and local production guide

My standard frame is a gallery style black ash hardwood frame. It is simple and quite modern looking. My standard frame is around 20mm (0.8in) wide.

I use super-clear acrylic (perspex/acrylite) for the frame glass. It's lighter and safer than glass - and it looks better, as the reflectivity is lower.

Six standard frame colours are available for free (black, dark brown, dark grey, oak, white and antique gold). Custom framing and mounting/matting is available if you're looking for something else.

Most maps, art and illustrations are also available as a framed canvas. We use matte (not shiny) cotton canvas, stretch it over a sustainably sourced box wood frame, and then 'float' the piece within a wood frame. The end result is quite beautiful, and there's no glazing to get in the way.

All frames are provided "ready to hang", with either a string or brackets on the back. Very large frames will have heavy duty hanging plates and/or a mounting baton. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

See some examples of my framed maps and framed canvas maps.

Alternatively, I can also supply old maps and artwork on canvas, foam board, cotton rag and other materials.

If you want to frame your map or artwork yourself, please read my size guide first.

My maps are extremely high quality reproductions of original maps.

I source original, rare maps from libraries, auction houses and private collections around the world, restore them at my London workshop, and then use specialist giclée inks and printers to create beautiful maps that look even better than the original.

My maps are printed on acid-free archival matte (not glossy) paper that feels very high quality and almost like card. In technical terms the paper weight/thickness is 10mil/200gsm. It's perfect for framing.

I print with Epson ultrachrome giclée UV fade resistant pigment inks - some of the best inks you can find.

I can also make maps on canvas, cotton rag and other exotic materials.

Learn more about The Unique Maps Co.

Map personalisation

If you're looking for the perfect anniversary or housewarming gift, I can personalise your map to make it truly unique. For example, I can add a short message, or highlight an important location, or add your family's coat of arms.

The options are almost infinite. Please see my map personalisation page for some wonderful examples of what's possible.

To order a personalised map, select "personalise your map" before adding it to your basket.

Get in touch if you're looking for more complex customisations and personalisations.

Map ageing

I have been asked hundreds of times over the years by customers if they could buy a map that looks even older.

Well, now you can, by selecting Aged before you add a map to your basket.

All the product photos you see on this page show the map in its Original form. This is what the map looks like today.

If you select Aged, I will age your map by hand, using a special and unique process developed through years of studying old maps, talking to researchers to understand the chemistry of aging paper, and of course... lots of practice!

If you're unsure, stick to the Original colour of the map. If you want something a bit darker and older looking, go for Aged.

See some amazing examples of Aged maps.

If you are not happy with your order for any reason, contact me and I'll get it fixed ASAP, free of charge. Please see my returns and refund policy for more information.

I am very confident you will like your restored map or art print. I have been doing this since 1984. I'm a 5-star Etsy seller. I have sold tens of thousands of maps and art prints and have over 5,000 real 5-star reviews. My work has been featured in interior design magazines, on the BBC, and on the walls of dozens of 5-star hotels.

I use a unique process to restore maps and artwork that is massively time consuming and labour intensive. Hunting down the original maps and illustrations can take months. I use state of the art and eye-wateringly expensive technology to scan and restore them. As a result, I guarantee my maps and art prints are a cut above the rest. I stand by my products and will always make sure you're 100% happy with what you receive.

Almost all of my maps and art prints look amazing at large sizes (200cm, 6.5ft+) and I can frame and deliver them to you as well, via special oversized courier. Contact me to discuss your specific needs.