William Henry Jackson
1843–1942 · United States
Building a photographic image of wide-open spaces.
The story
William Henry Jackson accompanied surveying expeditions in the American West, photographing Yellowstone among other places. He later produced an extensive body of landscapes, railways and urban scenes. His images circulated in several forms, from collection prints to commercial publications. They should be read in the context of exploration, territorial expansion and the rise of tourism.
Understanding the work
Compare the scale of natural formations with that of people and infrastructure. The commercial circulation of a view can turn a geographical document into an iconic landscape.
Key works and series
Yellowstone; Rocky Mountains; railway photographs; views distributed by Detroit Publishing.
Sources & further exploration
Works in collections.
7 recordsPhotographs to explore on museum and library websites, with titles, dates and processes. Each link opens the collection record and its image where one is available.
- MoMA · 1858-1941
Balanced Rock, Garden of the Gods
Albumen silver print from a wet-collodion glass negative
- MoMA · 1858-1941
Marshall Pass and Mt. Ouray
Albumen silver print from a wet-collodion glass negative
- MoMA · 1874
Pikes Peak from the Garden of the Gods, Colorado
Albumen silver print from a glass-plate negative
