The art and history of early quilts in Alaska are brought together in this beautifully illustrated full color publication. The five chapters were written by Alaskan scholars, historians and quiltmakers. Each chapter features quilts registered during the Alaska Quilt Survey project that spanned ten years and covered Nome to Ketchikan. How the quilts are intertwined with Alaska's cultural and social history is explored against a backdrop of the boom and bust cycles of the 49th state. Stories of early quiltmakers who pioneered Alaska, and those who brought quilts as family heirlooms unfold with captivating detail. The development of quiltmaking on the Last Frontier, and its connection to quilting traditions of  "Lower 48" states is compared. Cross-cultural influences shared between western quiltmakers and Native groups in Alaska is also examined. One chapter is dedicated to Native quiltmaking and includes the fascinating use of quilts in traditional Nelson Island Eskimo culture.