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Bowdoin Boys in Labrador Jonathan Prince Gilley JR

Lot Number:3236
Completed
Start Time:19/9/2025 9:30:00 PM
End Time:29/9/2025 10:17:00 PM
Bid Count:6
Current High Bidder:5253
Starting Bid:$0.01
Bid Increment:$1.00
Current Bid:$11.00
Bidding complete
Watching:4

Bowdoin Boys in Labrador Jonathan Prince Gilley JR

What it is

  • Full title: Bowdoin Boys in Labrador: An Account of the Bowdoin College Scientific Expedition to Labrador led by Prof. Leslie A. Lee of the Biological Department by Jonathan Prince Jr. Cilley. 

  • Published in Rockland, Maine by Rockland Publishing Company, roughly in the early 1890s. The expedition took place in 1891. 

  • It is a travel/scientific‐expedition narrative: observations of nature, geography, people (Indigenous, settlers), flora & fauna, and ethnographic detail. 

Contents / Key Features

Here are some of the main points from what the book covers:

  • Departure from Maine (Rockland) aboard the vessel Julia A. Decker, crossing toward Newfoundland / Labrador. 

  • Nautical challenges: descriptions of storms, calm seas, wind shifts, rough seas, etc. 

  • Arrival at Red Bay on the Labrador coast — descriptions of cliffs, icebergs, the harbor, local settlements, how people live seasonally. 

  • Ethnographic detail: observations of Indigenous peoples (referred often to as “Indians,” “Eskimo,” “half‑breed,” etc., in the language of the time) — dress, hair styles, the women’s hairstyles, their camps, trading activity, personal cleanliness, etc. 

  • Natural history: bird life (puffins, auks, guillemots, etc.), fishing, geography (rivers, canyons — especially something called “Bowdoin Canon”), observation of flora & fauna, mapping. The expedition also delves into prehistoric sites (Eskimo settlements) along Labrador’s coast, photographing and documenting them. 

  • Harsh conditions: mosquitoes / black flies; difficulties of navigating the terrain, food & supply challenges; sometimes dangerous navigation. 

Significance / Context

  • Provides a primary account from the 1890s of scientific expeditions to Labrador — useful for naturalists, geographers, ethnographers, climate and wildlife change studies.

  • The way Indigenous peoples are portrayed gives insight into the attitudes of the period (including colonial/settler perspectives).

  • The “Bowdoin Canon” is notable — steep‑walled canyon river, a key geographic discovery in their expedition.

No donations for this lot

Fall is around the corner. Time to start squirrelling away everything that is valuable to get us through the darker days. What better to stash away for safe keeping than some new (to you) gold and silver coins, Newfoundland books and memorabilia, stamps and much, much, more.

This auction will have new lots added throughout the 10 days so be sure to check back to see what great finds appear. 

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St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Canada