lot of 3, includes a Tomcod wooden pole with baleen line and sealskin pouch, length 11`; PLUS two ivory carved hooks, lengths 1.75` each; PLUS a slate stone weight, length 4`; AND another wooden pole, length 10.5`. Leigh Edward and Christine Robinson Collection The following lots (51- 82) were collected by pioneer Alaskan educators LEIGH EDWARD ROBINSON (1882-1960) and CHRISTINE ROBINSON (1883-1965) and have been loving curated by his grandchildren. His personal papers and photographs remain in the possession of the family. Cowan’s is pleased to have been entrusted with the sale of these artifacts, collected between 1928-1941. Most of the Eskimo items offered here were likely collected during their stay in Nome (1928-1934); the Tlingit lots were collected during their stay in Hoonah (1941-42). Robinson was born in Cedar Falls, Iowa the son of a contractor, and graduated in 1904 from the Iowa State Teacher’s College with a Master’s of Didactics. Teaching first in Iowa, and later in Montana and Washington State, he joined the U.S. Customs Service, serving first in Seattle and then from 1907-1917 in Blaine, Washington. As a child, Robinson became intrigued by the work of Sheldon Jackson, a Presbyterian missionary dedicated to the well-being of Native Alaskans. He followed his life-long dream north in 1928 when he accepted the position of Superintendent of Schools for the Seward Peninsula District, and relocated to Nome, living there with Christine and their three children until 1934 when the family moved to Klawock (1934 -1940) and Hoonah (1941- 42), The family returned to the lower 48 in 1942 when Leigh became Chief Clerk for the local War Price and Ration Board in Bellingham, Washington. During his sojourn in Alaska, Leigh’s primary role was as an educator, but he was also charged with supervising work on federal property, construction of new school buildings, managing reindeer herds, organizing local elections, and helping with the adoptions of native orphans. Christine also taught primary classes during their stay in Nome and Klawock. Her Eskimo name was Analoatuk, “the kind lady.” Both the Robinsons were actively interested in preserving native arts and crafts and organized the Northwest Alaskan Fair, which awarded prizes to students for outstanding work. During his tenure as Superintendent he brought the pioneer ivory carver Norman Lee to the White Mountain Boarding School to teach students traditional carving methods. Howard Rock – the Eskimo painter and founder of the Tundra Times was also encouraged by Robinson. Given the Robinson’s support of Native crafts, they left little in the way of documentation of their large collection. Letters retained by the Robinson family suggest that Christine was an appreciative collector, but unfortunately they do not provide details concerning the provenance of the great majority of the items. We assume that many were gifts from students and Native Alaskan whom the Robinsons came into contact with during their residency in the far north.