Original woodblock print; printed from seven blocks of cherry wood
4” x 6.5”; Edition of 195

In 1840, in a heavy storm in the Pacific Northwest, Captain Charles Wilkes, an American naval officer who led the United States Exploring Expedition of 1838—1842, took his small captain's boat (a gig) into a bay for relief from the storm. In 1841 he published a map of Oregon Territory; the small bay was named Gig Harbor.

However for previous centuries the area was the home to ancestors of the modern Puyallup people, who lived there until the late 19th century. They were later relocated on the Puyallup Indian Reservation.

This is a multi block print from seven blocks of cherry wood. It’s one of my larger editions, which I usually print in batches of around 20 at a time. This is from my latest batch. You can see the print progression from the seven blocks.