JACKSON, Wyo. — Join the Jackson Hole Historical Society & Museum (JHHSM) this evening, July 19 at 6 p.m. for slides and a conversation about pioneer photographer William Henry Jackson with historian and author Bob Blair. Blair will give a 20-minute talk, followed by a Q&A led by historian Sherry L. Smith.
When Jackson took some of the first-known photos of Yellowstone and the Tetons, he hauled an estimated 100s of pounds of photography equipment over rough terrain with pack mules.
The images that resulted not only documented the 1871 and 1872 Hayden geological surveys—they helped influence the declaration of Yellowstone as the first national park.
Blair compiled, edited and annotated the 2005 Museum of New Mexico Press edition of Jackson’s memoir “William Henry Jackson’s The Pioneer Photographer.”
Blair also researched, wrote and rephotographed elements of the museum’s current exhibit “William Henry Jackson: Pioneer Photographer Works from the Tetons & Yellowstone.”
The JHHSM’s current exhibit features reprints of Jackson’s earliest photos of Yellowstone and the Tetons taken during the Hayden Expeditions of 1871 and 1872. It was developed in collaboration with Scotts Bluff National Monument and National Park Service Museum Management and research from Bob Blair.
Photos of Jackson’s return to the Tetons in his 80s, as well as historic cameras from the JHHSM’s collection are also on display.
Two rephotographed Jackson images by Bradley J. Boner from the book “Yellowstone National Park: Through the Lens of Time” are on loan from the St. John’s Health & St. John’s Hospital Foundation.
The exhibit will be on view in the history Museum’s Co-op Corner through March 2023. Admission to the Museum is free for Bob Blair’s event at 6 p.m. on July 19.
