William Henry Jackson Photochroms, 1890-1910

William Henry Jackson (1843-1942) was an American painter, Civil War veteran, geological survey photographer, and an explorer famous for his images of the American West. He was first to photograph Yellowstone as part of the Ferdinand Hayden U.S. Geological Surveys of the west in 1870 and 1871. These surveys and Jackson's photographs lead to the creation of Yellowstone National Park, America's first national park, in 1872. Jackson continued work with the Geological Survey until 1879 when he opened a studio in Denver, Colorado where he continued to photograph many aspects and scenery of the American West. The Detroit Photographic Company began creating photochrom prints of Jackson's work in the 1890s. The Photochrom process involved colorizing images from Jackson's black and white photographic negatives.