Full AspenCat Catalog

An account of the Great Chicago Fire combines archival photographs and drawings with personal accounts by its survivors and historical documents.

In 1897, whaling in the Arctic waters off Alaska's coast was as dangerous as it was lucrative. And in that particular year, winter blasted early, bringing storms and ice packs that caught eight American whale ships and three hundred sailors off guard. Their ships locked in ice, with no means of escape, the whalers had limited provisions on board, and little hope of surviving until warmer temperatures arrived many months later. Here is the incredible...

Text and accompanying photographs show the changing role of women in the United States following the Civil War.

Provides a look at law and lawlessness in the wild west and some of the outlaws and lawmen who made history.

Examines various aspects of life on cattle ranches in the nineteenth century, describing the reasons for becoming a rancher or a cowboy, the hard work involved, food and living arrangements, and more.

Describes the history of the Underground Railroad, discussing the history of slavery in the United States, the people who aided runaway slaves to freedom, and the outbreak of the Civil War.

Brief biographies of the "Wild West's" most colorful gamblers, with information on the atmosphere that fostered gambling as a form of entertainment.

Describes the state of medical knowledge and the practice of medicine, particularly by military medical personnel, during the Civil War.

Traces the lives of some of the Old West's most colorful lawmen and desperados, including Wild Bill Hickok, Billy the Kid, and John Wesley Hardin.

Describes art, architecture, and crafts in the United States in the mid-nineteenth century.