Carte Geographique, Statistique et Historique Des Possessions Russes

Scarce map of Alaska published 42 years prior to its acquisition by the United States.

This map is one of the earliest to focus entirely on the area that would become Alaska, and was not included in the later American version of Buchon’s atlas published by Carey & Lea. With original hand color, it depicts scarce interior details and a reasonably accurate coastline, including the area south to Queen Charlotte’s Island. An inset map of the Aleutians and descriptive text complete the image.

The border provides information on Russia’s American colony, including population statistics showing that only 50,000 inhabitants were spread across the region, only 1,000 of which were Russian. New Archangel, the capital, is described as having a population of roughly 1,000 and sixty permanent buildings.