The Haida Indians of the Queen Charlotte Islands in British Columbia constructed some of the most magnificent houses and erected some of the most beautifully carved totem poles on the Northwest coast. During the last quarter of the 19th century, many of these were captured, first on glass plates and later on film by photographers who travelled to villages like Masset and Skidegate to record the long rows of communal plank houses separated from the water by soaring totem poles. "Haida Monumental Art", initially published as a limited edition hardcover and finally available in paperback, includes a large number of these remarkable photographs, selected from a collection of over 10,000 original prints and photographic plates. They depict the Haida villages at the height of their glory and record their tragic deterioration only a few decades later. Also, this edition contains the complete text from the first edition, including site plans and detailed descriptions of 15 major villages and several smaller sites, which are catalogued house by house and pole by pole.
By combining archaeology and ethnohistory, George MacDonald presents an integrated framework for understanding the physical structure of a Haida village. He explains how the houses and poles are part of a fascinating web of myth, family history, and Haida cosmology and thus provides a unique insight into Haida culture.

Foreword by: Bill Reid