Drawing
Archival Item
2026.12.8
One of a series of black and white drawings on white cardstock of the last voyage and sinking of the ocean liner SS Princess Sophia. These are prints of the original drawings. This drawing depicts the ship breaking apart on the Vanderbilt Reef.
Created in 1980 for "Rush for Gold" NFB classroom video. Not included in final released version to reduce running time of the video. Used in test shoot only and never seen outside of the video production crew.
On 25 October 1918, Princess Sophia sank after grounding on Vanderbilt Reef in Lynn Canal near Juneau, Territory of Alaska. All 364 persons on the ship died, making the wreck of Sophia the worst maritime accident in the history of British Columbia and Alaska.
On board were 75 crew and about 268 passengers, including families of troops serving overseas, miners, and crews of sternwheelers that had finished operations for the winter. Fifty women and children were on the passenger list.
Wikipedia;Over 100 of the passengers on the SS Sophia were from Dawson.
In 2007, a memorial was built along the Yukon River in downtown Dawson. A brass plaque at the memorial lists the names of all 278 passengers and 65 crew members that were on the ship manifest, but also lists the names of 22 people who were said by the Dawson Daily News to have been on the ship but were not on the manifest.
Explore North / The Wreck of CPR's Coastal Steamer SS Princess Sophia
On board were 75 crew and about 268 passengers, including families of troops serving overseas, miners, and crews of sternwheelers that had finished operations for the winter. Fifty women and children were on the passenger list.
Wikipedia;Over 100 of the passengers on the SS Sophia were from Dawson.
In 2007, a memorial was built along the Yukon River in downtown Dawson. A brass plaque at the memorial lists the names of all 278 passengers and 65 crew members that were on the ship manifest, but also lists the names of 22 people who were said by the Dawson Daily News to have been on the ship but were not on the manifest.
Explore North / The Wreck of CPR's Coastal Steamer SS Princess Sophia