The album was created by Agnes Shattuck’s mother, “Minnie” Swineford, for her grandson, Allen Shattuck (Jr.), one of Agnes’ three children, who died at age 17 of spinal meningitis or encephalitis. (DeArmond, R.N., Shattuck & Grummet, Inc., a History, 1991).

Most of the album documents a trip taken by Gov. and Mrs. Alfred P. Swineford aboard the U.S.S. Thetis during the summer of 1887. The photographs (41) include scenes of Yakutat, Nushaguk, Unalaska, Kodiak, Alaska Native villages, Cape Prince of Wales Is. and others. Some of the photographs were taken by J.E. Thwaites and collected by Mrs. Swineford. The final page of the album contains a poem titled “Other Woman in Alaska,” written by Ulu M. Thompson.