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Barbeau, Marius. 1929. Totem Poles of the Gitksan, Upper Skeena River, British Columbia. Department of Mines (Government of Canada) and the National Museum of Canada.
The information in this book is dated and more than a little imperialistic in its perspective (the printer proudly proclaims himself to be "Printer to the King's most excellent majesty."!). However, it contains many black and white plates of poles from the period which today are either greatly deteriorated or gone altogether.
Halpin, Marjorie M. 1981. Totem Poles: An Illustrated Guide. University of British Columbia Press and the UBC Museum of Anthropology.
This is more up to date. It's approach is primarily anthropological, but at a level which is comprehensible by non-specialists. Profusely illustrated.
Jensen, Vickie. 1992. Where the People Gather. Douglas and McIntyre.
This book documents the carving of a single Nisga'a pole. Chief carver Norman Tait notes in the introduction, "Few people have ever had the opportunity to watch the completion of a mask or any piece of Northwest Coast art, much less an entire totem pole.Where the People Gather takes you behind the scenes, into the carving shed. It's almost like being there." Not only does this book provide insight into the technical requirements, it also allows us to see the human dimension in a way that is impossible to achieve simply by looking at the finished product.
Keithahn, Edward L. 1963. Monuments in Cedar. Superior Publishing Company: Seattle.
Dated. It seems that anything published prior to the 1970s believed the totem pole to be a dying form. It is, however, profusely packed with photos ranging from the 19th century to its date of publication.
MacDonald, George F. 1984. The Totem Poles and Monuments of Gitwangak Village. Parks Canada and Environment Canada.
Specific focus on Gitwangak Village (Gitksan). This village has been repeatedly photographed and documented since 1899 and provides uncommonly rich information about these archaeologically ephemeral objects. It also contains notes on specific figures and myths represented on the poles.
Malin, Edward. 1986. Totem Poles of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Timber Press.
Contains many fine black and white line drawings based on photographs taken from the 1880s to early decades of the twentieth century. Also photos and a few colour plates. Almost comprehensive enough to live up to its title.
