William Henry Jackson photographs

Collection — Box: 1

Identifier: 0259

Staff Only

Scope and Content

These 25 mounted photographs, depicting views of Yellowstone National Park, and various lakes and mountains in Colorado, Montana, and Grand Teton National Park, were taken by renowned American photographer William Henry Jackson between 1871 and 1873. They represent part of the body of work created by Jackson during his tenure as photographer for exploratory expeditions ("Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey of the Territories") of the American West sponsored by the Department of the Interior and led by geologist Frederick V. Hayden. The photographs all bear a stamp on the reverse: "Library/University of Southern California/College of Liberal Arts/Los Angeles, Cal." and may have been part of a reference collection at one time.

Dates

Creation: 1871-1873, undated

Creator

Jackson, William Henry, 1843-1942 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Advance notice required for access.

Conditions Governing Use

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Manuscripts Librarian. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Historical note

In 1870, Frederick V. Hayden, leader of the United States Geological Survey of the Territories, invited photographer William Henry Jackson on the survey of Wyoming as an unpaid photographer. At the end of the summer, Jackson accepted Hayden’s offer of employment and held the position of official photographer of Hayden's surveys until 1878. The hiring contract stipulated that all negatives made on the surveys were to be property of the USGS.

In the summer of 1871, Jackson accompanied Hayden's survey in the Yellowstone region. Jackson's photographs helped convince Congress to vote for the Yellowstone National Park bill in 1872. In the following seasons, Jackson documented Hayden's survey in Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, and Colorado. His subjects included, among others, the Mount of the Holy Cross (1873), the Ute reservation at Las Pinos, Colorado, and cliff ruins in Mancos Canyon, near Mesa Verde, Colorado (1874).

Extent

1.27 Linear Feet (1 box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Related Materials

Many of these photographs have been digitized by the USGS; see http://libraryphoto.cr.usgs.gov/index.html

Related Materials

William Henry Jackson photograph of Arkansas River at Royal Gorge, Collection no. 7149, Regional History Collection, Special Collections, USC Libraries, University of Southern California