ORIGINAL Mounted Cabinet Card Photograph of the Skagway Alaska Class of 1908 by Photographer Herbert Horace Draper (1855-1913). Draper was a significant early Alaska Photographer famous for photographing the Klondike Gold Rush, Alaska Natives and early Skagway with his partner William Case. Case & Draper opened in Skagway in 1898, the partnership ended when Case left town in 1907, Draper continued until his death in 1913.

Skagway Alaska was the gateway to the Klondike gold fields, a gold rush boomtown founded in 1897 that in 1900 became the first incorporated city in Alaska, just one day before Juneau.

Original silver print, 9.5" x 7.75" mounted on an embossed two tone black paper covered board 13" x 10.75", with the embossed imprint of the photography studio, Draper and Co., in the lower right corner of the mat. Names, date, and location are handwritten on verso by a former owner. VERY GOOD CONDITION: some tiny spotting/scrapes to the photo surface, the mount has some tiny spotting, light edge wear, and a chip to the black paper covering on the lower left side, the verso of the mount has some light droplet stains, overall a very clear, clean and bright original vintage photograph. A wonderful, scarce image from a noted early Alaska photographer.

Of the ten students, I found most of their names in the 1905 Skagway Municipal Census which included age, family members and occupations (school girl, school boy etc). Three young women are not in the census, one young man does not have his surname identified but I found it in the census. The students photographed are: Eleanor M Leslie 14; Adelbart Baker 16; Minnie Wolf 17; Louis [Steinbaugh] 16; Dora Benson; Neilly Orchard; Viola Powell; Ruth de Witt 15; Harry Ask 15; and Clarence Achison 16.

Also included is a circa 1908 mounted 8.5" x 6" Draper & Co. photographic studio portrait of William McKinley Leslie, the 12 year old younger brother of Eleanor M Leslie in VERY GOOD CONDITION.