Harriman Alaska Expedition - Expedition Publications

Expedition Publications

Harriman paid for the creation of several sizable volumes of the discoveries of the expedition. When Harriman died in 1909, his wife devoted enough money to continue the publications. C. Hart Merriam served as the editor, and spent twelve years working on the publications (Goetzmann & Sloan, 1982).

John Burroughs, a best-selling nature author, was the official scribe of the expedition. He wrote much of Volume I, an overview of the trip. Volumes VI and VII, which were to be written by Merriam and feature mammals, never appeared. Perhaps Merriam simply couldn’t find the time with his other duties. Subsequent volumes were written by other expedition scientists or authors hired by Merriam to finish the work. While they often mentioned the beauty and grandeur of the Alaskan coast, the publications were mostly highly technical and written for other scientists.

The first volume was published in 1901, and they continued to be published in the next few years. The Smithsonian republished the entire series in 1910, and the volumes are now available as free downloads.

• The Harriman Expedition (1901-1910). The Harriman Alaska Series. New York: Doubleday, Page & Company.
  • Vol I: Narrative, Glaciers, Natives
  • Vol II: History, Geography, Resources
  • Vol III: Glaciers and Glaciation
  • Vol IV: Geology and Paleontology
  • Vol V: Cryptogamic Botany
  • Vol VIII: Insects, Part 1
  • Vol IX: Insects, Part 2
  • Vol X: Crustaceans
  • Vol XI: Nemerteans, Bryozoans
  • Vol XII: Enchytraeids, Tubicolous Annelids
  • Vol XIII: Land and Fresh Water Mollusks
  • Vol XIV: Monograph of the Shallow-water Starfishes of the North Pacific Coast from the Arctic Ocean to California, Part 1. Text and Part 2. Plates