author
Geraldine Coffin
A little-known early anthropologist, she helped document Indigenous canoe traditions of the Pacific Northwest in work that is still remembered today. Her surviving publication offers a rare glimpse into the region's maritime knowledge and cultural history.
1 Audiobook
Types of canoes on Puget Sound
by T. T. (Thomas Talbot) Waterman, Geraldine Coffin
About the author
Geraldine Coffin is known for coauthoring Types of Canoes on Puget Sound with anthropologist T. T. Waterman, a study first published in 1920. The work focused on the canoe traditions of the Puget Sound region and has remained her best-known contribution.
A profile from the Journal of Northwest Anthropology identifies her as Geraldine Coffin Guie and notes that she studied at the University of Washington, where she was among its earliest anthropology majors. The same source describes her as part of a prominent Yakima Valley family and connects her to several early anthropology publications.
Although not much biographical detail is easy to confirm, her published work stands out for preserving information about Indigenous watercraft and regional maritime culture. For listeners interested in early Northwest anthropology, her writing offers a compact but meaningful historical record.