Explorations in American Environmental History Early Images of the United States

Choose from the links below to view images recorded by early explorers of the American West. What stories do these pictures tell?

Prints, lithographs and engravings

In the 1850s, prints, lithographs and engravings of American scenery, especially in the West, received wide popular distribution between this decade and the turn of the century, stimulating broad interest in and appreciation for the special qualities of the American landscape, including its wilderness.

• Forest scene summer; Currier & Ives.

• Sunset (California scenery) AB '64 ; chromolith. & published by L. Prang & Co.; Bierstadt, Albert, 1830-1902, artist.

• American hunting scenes: "a good chance"; Currier & Ives.

• Rocky Mountains A. Bierstadt, 1863. ; Smillie, James David, 1833-1909, engraver.; Bierstadt, Albert, 1830-1902, artist.

• A mountain ramble; Currier & Ives.

• Yosemite Valley--California: "The Bridal Veil" Fall F.F. Palmer del. ; Currier & Ives Lith., N.Y.; Currier & Ives.

• The Rocky Mountains painted by W. Whitteredge ; engraved by R. Hinshelwood.

Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories (U.S.)--1870-1880.

Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden began his first Federally-sponsored Survey of the West in 1870. By the time it ended in 1878, the survey under his leadership has conducted landmark explorations throughout the region and contributed vitally to the scientific, photographic, and artistic representation of the Western landscape.

Henry Jackson was official photographer and Thomas Moran was accompanying artist. Widely-distributed lithographs of Moran's paintings from this expedition helped publicize Yellowstone in the East, while Jackson's 1870-1878 work with the Survey quickly became the most influential photographic representation of the Western landscape and its natural wonders.

• The tower of Tower Falls, Yellowstone TM ; Prang's American Chromo.; L. Prang & Co.; Moran, Thomas, 1837-1926, artist.

• The Grand Canon, Yellowstone TM ; Prang's American Chromo.; Moran, Thomas, 1837-1926, artist.

• Valley of babbling waters, southern Utah TM ; Prang's American Chromo. L. Prang & Co.; Moran, Thomas, 1837-1926, artist.

• Great Falls of Snake River, Idaho territory TM ; Prang's American Chromo.; L. Prang & Co.; Moran, Thomas, 1837-1926, artist.

• [Crater of the Castle Geyser] ; Jackson, William Henry, 1843-1942, photographer.

• [Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River]; Jackson, William Henry, 1843-1942, photographer.

• [Three men standing in front of log cabin at camp for U.S. Geological Survey team, Rocky Mountains]; Jackson, William Henry, 1843-1942, photographer.

• [Great Falls of the Yellowstone River]; Jackson, William Henry, 1843-1942, photographer.

• [Upper Falls of the Yellowstone River]; Jackson, William Henry, 1843-1942, photographer.

• [Yellowstone River above the falls]; Jackson, William Henry, 1843-1942, photographer.

• [The Annie, first boat launched on Yellowstone Lake]; Jackson, William Henry, 1843-1942, photographer.

• Sierra San Juan; Jackson, William Henry, 1843-1942, photographer.

• Camp in Cache Valley--Wasatch Mountain series; Jackson, William Henry, 1843-1942, photographers.

• [Elk with velvet on its antlers, lying down, Yellowstone National Park]; Jackson, William Henry, 1843-1942, photographer.

• Views in the Rocky Mountains--Crater of the Grotto; Jackson, William Henry, 1843-1942, photographer.

• [Three men in gulch with a sluice, placer mining for gold]; Jackson, William Henry, 1843-1942, photographer.

• [Capt. John Moss and Ernest Ingersoll in the Canyon of the Mancos, Colorado]; Jackson, William Henry, 1843-1942, photographer.

William Henry Jackson

Jackson went on from the Geological Survey work to produce additional photographs of the West throughout his life. These were exhibited at major venues, and played a major role in shaping Americans' views of the West.

• Pike's Peak, Colorado; Jackson, William Henry, 1843-1942, photographer.

• Grand Canyon of Arizona; Jackson, William Henry, 1843-1942, photographer.

• Going to school; Jackson, William Henry, 1843-1942, photographer.

• Glacier Point, Yosemite Valley; Jackson, William Henry, 1843-1942, photographer.

• Bluffs of the Green River, Wyoming; Jackson, William Henry, 1843-1942, photographer.

New Photographic Techniques

As new techniques became available, photographers of the West used them to produce ever-grander images. Panoramic photographs produced particularly striking images of Western landscapes.

• Lake Chelan, in the Cascade Mts., Wash.

• Warrenton, Columbia River and Astoria, OR

• Hood River Valley

• Panorama Yosemite

• Lake George (Mammoth), Mono County, Calif. (Film No. 4, 1911)

• Crater Lake, Ore.

• Middle Cascades, Columbia River

• Sawtooth Mountains near Stanley, Idaho

• Petrified Forest of Arizona

• In the heart of the Olympics

• Mt. Ranier, from Eagle Peak in the Tatoosh Range, over looking Paradice [sic] Valley

• Hetch - Hetchy Valley, Sierra Nevada Mts., Calif.

• Bonneville Dam site, power & locks, Feb. 22, 1934, 12: P.M.

• San Diego the beautiful

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