Creator
WILLIAM HENRY JACKSON (1843-1942)
Title
Canon of the Rio las Animas, La Plata County, Colorado
Date
ca. 1882
Description
The Denver and Rio Grande Railroad described itself as "The Scenic Line of America," and hired Jackson in 1881 to illustrate the assertion for its advertisements. On commissions through the 1890s, Jackson traveled along the line on the railroad president's private trains. His photographs must have offered comfort to would-be tourists, who could glimpse nature's wonders while being assured of man's mastery over the wilderness. Jackson seldom composed a view without a train or a track or even a figure present.
Format
Modern gold-toned gelatin silver contact print.
Source
Princeton Collections of Western Americana, Department of Rare Books and Special Collections. Purchase, J. Monroe Thorington Fund.