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N. A. Forsyth stereographs, circa 1901 - circa 1911

Overview of the Collection

Photographer
Forsyth, N. A. (Norman A.), 1869-1949
Title
N. A. Forsyth stereographs
Dates
circa 1901 - circa 1911 (inclusive)
Quantity
564 stereographs
Collection Number
ST 001
Summary
N. A. Forsyth was a photographer who operated a studio out of Butte, Montana, from 1904-1930, working for Underwood and Underwood and later Keystone View Company. This collection consists of over 500 stereograph views with Forsyth's imprint captured between circa 1901 and circa 1911 and includes scenic views of Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks; Butte, Montana; and family groups of Montana Indian tribes.
Repository
Montana Historical Society, Library & Archives
Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT
59620-1201
Telephone: 4064442681
Fax: 4064445297
mhslibrary@mt.gov
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Languages
English
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Biographical Note

Norman A. Forsyth was born on February 10, 1869 in Syracuse, New York. Adopted as an infant, his family moved to Plainview, Nebraska, in 1870. Forsyth attended Wesleyan University in Lincoln, Nebraska and while in school, Forsyth began selling stereo cards and viewers door-to-door for Underwood and Underwood, an early producer and distributor of stereographic views.

Shortly after graduating from college in 1901, Forsyth headed west to Yellowstone National Park to work for the Shaw and Powell transportation company. Attracted by the park’s scenic beauty, Forsyth decided to continue working as a tour guide and stage driver in Yellowstone for five more summers. Forsyth purchased a stereo camera and captured Yellowstone views which he then sold to Underwood and Underwood.

By 1902, Forsyth had relocated to Butte, Montana, and he began operating a photographic studio there in 1904 as the sole agent for Underwood and Underwood in Montana, selling views under his imprint as well. Forsyth captured stereo views of Butte city life and of copper mining and smelting at Butte and Anaconda.

Forsyth developed a close friendship with Charles M. Russell, and both followed the last buffalo roundup in Montana. The two were guests of a group of Canadian peace officers who assisted in driving 800 head of bison purchased from Michel Pablo of Ronan, Montana, north to Canada. Forsyth captured stereographic views and Russell painted numerous pieces over three summers of the roundup (1906-1908).

Forsyth visited and photographed the Morrison Cave (today the Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park) between 1902 and 1911. He also made a number of trips to Northwest Montana to photograph Glacier National Park and family groups of Montana Indians (ca. 1906 - ca. 1908). In 1911, Forsyth attended the Montana State Fair and took many pictures of the event and its main attraction, aviator Cromwell Dixon and his flight across the Continental Divide.

In the early 1920s, Underwood and Underwood sold their stereograph business to the Keystone View Company and Forsyth transferred his operation to Keystone. In 1930, Forsyth moved to Dillon, Montana, and he continued to work for the Keystone Company until 1947, when he was diagnosed with kidney cancer. N. A. Forsyth passed away in his sleep on December 15, 1949.

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Content Description

This collection consists of 564 stereographs taken by N. A. Forsyth from circa 1901 to circa 1911. The views capture Montana locations that Forsyth visited primarily between the years 1906 and 1909. The bulk of the images are of Butte, Montana (including street scenes, Columbia Gardens, and mining), Glacier National Park, the activities of the 1906-1908 Bison roundup, family groups of Montana Indian tribes (including the Flathead, Cree, Crow, and Blackfeet), and Indian dances and ceremonies including the Sun Dance, Choosing Dance and Grass Dance of the Blackfeet tribe and the Crow Fair. Other subjects include Anaconda, Montana; farms and ranching; lumber; the 1908 Missoula, Montana, flood; Cromwell Dixon and the 1911 Montana the Montana State Fair; Morrison Cave, and Yellowstone National Park.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

The Montana Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Photograph Archives collections and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Photograph Archives before any reproduction use. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in its collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.

Preferred Citation

N. A. Forsyth stereographs. ST 001. Item number. Montana Historical Society Photograph Archives, Helena, Montana.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The stereographs are arranged into subject series and then ordered alphabetically by Forsyth's titles and numbered accordingly. The original series were retained as much as possible. Some of the original series titles from Forsyth's boxes were as follows: Wild Buffaloes through the Stereoscope; Butte Montana through the Stereoscope; Glacier Park through the Stereoscope; Yellowstone Park; The Blackfeet through the Stereoscope; The Flathead through the Stereoscope; Morrison Cave through the Stereoscope; Montana; Montana Indians through the Stereoscope; State Fair 1911, Cromwell Dixon, Aviator – Historical Views.

Acquisition Information

Acquisition information available upon request.

Processing Note

For those acquisitions after 1973, this collection consists of stereographs accessioned under PAc 79-9, PAc 84-20, PAc 86-24, PAc 89-76, PAc 91-38, PAc 93-58, PAc 2007-23, PAc 2007-29, PAc 2007-53, PAc 2008-12, PAc 2008-43, PAc 2008-86, PAc 2008-103, and PAc 2012-5.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Mines and mineral resources -- Montana -- Butte
  • Agriculture -- Montana
  • American Bison
  • Crow Indians
  • Floods -- Montana -- Missoula
  • Salish Indians

Personal Names

  • Dixon, Cromwell, 1892-1911.

Geographical Names

  • Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation of Montana
  • Butte (Mont.)
  • Columbia Gardens (Butte, Mont.)
  • Flathead Valley
  • Glacier National Park
  • Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park
  • Yellowstone National Park

Form or Genre Terms

  • Stereographs

Finding aid prepared by Amanda Graham
2009

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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