Behind the Lens: Photography in the Pikes Peak Region During the nineteenth century rapid advances in photography and the development of the west went hand in hand. As the science and practice of photography grew more efficient and less expensive, Americans who might never travel west of the Mississippi River could view an astounding array of breathtaking images of mountains, canyons, and vast open spaces from the comfort of their homes. Photographs of the seemingly endless landscape and natural resources helped spur western emigration and finance railroads, town companies and businesses. It also changed the way Americans remembered themselves. Historian Martha Sandweiss notes that for Americans moving west, “photographs provided a way for these immigrants to maintain visual ties to the families and places they had left behind.” Since 1839 when the invention of the first “permanent photograph” was announced, photography has been a rapidly and dynamically evolving mix of the scientific and artistic. The inventors of photography are generally considered to be Joseph Nie’pce, Jacques Louis Mande’ Daguerre, and William Henry Fox Talbot, all of whom were both artists and chemists. The chemical and material processes of photography have dictated how the medium would be used and by whom. The stylistic and artistic conventions of photography have also evolved over the course of the past 175 years according to the tastes of both the producers and consumers of images. The varied ways people use photography: as memento of family and friends, container of personal memory, instrument of scientific inquiry, entertainment, documentation and evidence, promotion, tool of surveillance or an object of art – changes over time according to society’s needs and desires. The stunning scenery in our backyard has resulted in the area being one of the most photographed places in the world. William Henry Jackson (1843-1942), Laura Gilpin (1891- 1979), Harry L. Standley (1881-1951), Stanley L. Payne (1914-1983), and Myron Wood (1921- 1999) all captured a glimpse of the western landscape and people from Behind the Lens of their individual cameras. Together they left us a stunning documentary record of the history of the Pikes Peak Region as it changed over time. Origins of Photography in the Pikes Peak Region In photographs, Americans found persuasive evidence of what they had, who they were, and what they could become; and in the West, nineteenth-century American photography found its most distinctive subject. - Historian Martha Sandwiess By the time Colorado Springs was founded in 1871, three decades had passed since the invention of the daguerreotype. Enormous advances had taken place in the field of photography. William Henry Jackson was among the first photographers to document the unique geological features and resources of the West for the Hayden Expeditions. Later, his commercial photographs were used in promotional booklets—such as Among the Rockies, seen here — that encouraged tourism, settlement and investment in the region. As Americans moved westward, so too did photographers. In 1871 Civil War veteran Byron H. Gurnsey opened a small “picture gallery” at the corner of Tejon and Pikes Peak Avenue in Colorado Springs. By the time of his death in November of 1880, Gurnsey had an impressive catalog of over 200 different stereoviews featuring dramatic local scenery. Gurnsey was the first resident photographer of the Pikes Peak region but he was soon joined by a host of others. Drawn here by the scenery, the climate and the growing tourist trade, photographers James Thurlow, L.K. Oldroyd, and Charles Gillingham all set up shops in the 1870s. The Tele-Photo Cycle Poco camera featured here belonged to Alfred Freeman, a photographer who immigrated to Colorado Springs from England in 1885 and operated a photo shop on the corner of Kiowa and Tejon Streets. Tourists and residents alike expected high quality portraits in addition to scenic views. The region’s photographers catered to this trade as well. Prior to the invention of daguerreotype photography, simple silhouettes, drawings or costly paintings were the only options available to preserve the image of a loved one. The invention of photography revolutionized the nature of portraiture. As improvements were made in the technology of photography, the introduction of ambrotypes and tintypes provided less expensive and increasingly popular methods of portrait photography. Once placed in protective cases, they fit in pockets as personal mementos of loved ones. The introduction of photographic albumen prints made from paper coated with a layer of egg whites and silver salts in 1850 laid the groundwork for the cartes de visite craze that began in the 1860s. Patented in 1854, carte-de-visite photographs are small paper prints mounted on card stock (4 ¼ x 2 ½ inches) that were similar in size to calling cards. They became wildly 2 popular after Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte had his carte-de- visite portrait taken in 1859. The fad swiftly traveled to America and can be seen above. Card photographs were less expensive, less fragile and could be mailed. Carte-de-visite portraits of family and friends were displayed in decorative albums. Additionally, images of actors, generals, presidents, royal family members and artwork were mass produced and widely collected. Carte-de-visites declined in popularity as larger cabinet cards (6 ½ x 4 ½ inches) allowed for group portraits and landscapes. Cabinet cards of scenic views and landmarks were sold to tourists as souvenirs. The most popular form of photography in the 1870s was the stereoview also known as the stereograph. When viewed through a hand-held stereoscope, stereoviews provide a three- dimensional image. These cards were produced with cameras that used two side-by-side lenses 2 ½ inches apart. Two exposures are made simultaneously. When seen together through the lenses of a stereoscope viewer, each eye receives a slightly different image that results in a three-dimensional viewing experience. The most popular stereoview images were of tourist attractions, large cities, and geological wonders. As a result, thousands of stereoviews of Pikes Peak region scenery were sold throughout the world. Stereoscopes were common forms of entertainment in nineteenth- century homes. The toy stereoscope and cards seen in this case are from around 1910 and attest to the popularity of stereoscopes into the early twentieth century. Early photographs realistically captured shapes and textures but they could not convey color. Seeking ways to compensate, studios employed “colorists” to tint and paint images with opaque pigments. Several examples of hand-tinted colorization appear in this case. By the 1860s, photographers provided elaborately painted backgrounds and props such as faux columns to make portraits more visually interesting and dramatic. PHOTOGRAPHER BIO William Henry Jackson (1843-1942) William Henry Jackson was one of the premier photographers of his time and his images recorded the landscape with an honesty and clarity of vision unparalleled. Sweeping panoramas of the west were his trademark, although his long career included commercial photography that captured the growth of cities and industry. Despite being born and raised in the East, Jackson spent the bulk of his life documenting the West. 3 From 1870-1878, he served as the official photographer of the U.S. Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories. These expeditions mapped and evaluated the unique natural resources and economic potential of the west for future development. Although originally intended for government purposes, Jackson’s photographs proved popular with an American public eager to glimpse western scenery. In 1881 General William Jackson Palmer, founder of Colorado Springs and the Denver and Rio Grande Railway Company, hired Jackson to photograph his enterprises. This was the first of many promotional assignments Jackson carried out for railroads and hotels across the country. Equipped with cameras of various sizes, he used pack mules to transport several hundred pounds of gear including fragile glass plate negatives through rugged terrain to record the stunning views. In 1897 the Detroit Photographic Company purchased Jackson’s stock of 20,000 negatives and made him a Director of the company. The financial deal proved lucrative for Jackson and he spent the remainder of his long, productive life continuing his photographic work, painting, and writing his autobiography, Time Exposure. Shortly before his death, several of Jackson’s most iconic western images were included in an exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York curated by Ansel Adams. Through the remarkable glass plate negative prints of pioneer photographer William Henry Jackson, viewers will witness the natural landscape and built environment of the Pikes Peak Region as it appeared in the last decades of the nineteenth century. Making Photography “An Everyday Affair” 1880-1920 Until around 1880, photography was practiced almost exclusively by professionals, scientists and the wealthy. Mastering the photographic process was difficult, cumbersome and physically demanding. In the late 1870s a “dry plate” negative process was perfected using gelatin to bind photographic emulsion to the glass plate. Dry plates could be stored for prolonged periods before use and did not require immediate processing after exposure. This eliminated the need for landscape photographers, like William Henry Jackson, to carry darkroom equipment into the field. Founded by entrepreneur and inventor George Eastman, the Eastman Dry Plate Company of Rochester, New York began to manufacture dry plates in mass quantities. The venture would later evolve into the Eastman Kodak Company and become the most important manufacturer of photographic goods in the world. The dry plate process made photography practicable to a vast new audience of amateur photographers; however, George Eastman had an even more innovative idea in mind. 4 Eastman produced a flexible roll of film on a clear celluloid base that eliminated the need for glass plates. The Kodak camera was patented in 1888. The small, hand-held camera sold for $25 and came preloaded with film.