Source of the photos and some information: The lure of Alaska by Harry A. Franck, 1942.
Publisher: J. B. Lippincott Company
As stated in the reference, two million pelts were taken the first year after the islands were discovered whereas the price/piece fell to $1. By 1834 only 8,000 skins were taken. Accordingly, Russia stopped seal fishing for thirty three years. After the purchase of Alaska by the United States in 1867, the herd of seals was estimated at 4,000,000 keeping in mind that the seal fishery was highly considered when USA purchased Alaska from Russia. Afterwards, and when the expanding fur trade for lady fashion and hence the pelagic sealing was found seriously threatening the seals population in Alaska, an international treaty to stop pelagic sealing was signed on December 15, 1911 between England (that is, Canada), Russia, Japan and the United States, and has since been renewed. The two photos show the fur cleaning by an Alaskan woman and fur display in a fashion shop in Alaska during early 1940s or before.
