W. H. Jackson photochrom print collection
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of 309 photochrom images of American landmarks, both natural and man-made, published by the Detroit Photographic Company between 1898 and 1905. The bulk were originally photographed by William Henry Jackson, a professional photographer whose career saw him surveying vast swathes of the United States.
Series I includes the first photographic surveys of what would later become Yellowstone National Park and its many beautiful geological formations. Additionally, Series I contains images that portray the lives and culture of several indigenous groups.
Dates
- Creation: circa 1898-1905
- Creation: undated
Creator
- Jackson, William Henry, 1843-1942 (Photographer, Person)
- Detroit Publishing Co. (Publisher, Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research under the terms of the NIU Rare Books and Special Collections. Materials not enclosed in Mylar sleeves must be handled with cotton gloves.
Conditions Governing Use
Property Rights are transferred to the University Libraries per the signed Deed of Gift Document. Literary Rights are retained by the content creator. Any copyrights so stated in the materials remain in force.
Historical Note
A photochrom is a color photo lithograph created from a black and white photographic negative. Color impressions are achieved through the application of multiple lithograph stones, one per color. The process was developed in Switzerland and brought to the United States by the Detroit Publishing Company in 1897.
Anticipating the success of the photochrom for the mass production of color prints, the Detroit Publishing Company recruited William Henry Jackson (1843-1942), a successful American photographer, to become a partner. Jackson brought with him more than 10,000 black and white negatives to add to the company's inventory.
Jackson worked in the U.S. Geological Survey as a photographer in the 1870s, which took him all over the west and cemented his reputation as one of the foremost landscape photographers of his time. During the 1880s Jackson continued to travel extensively throughout the United States and abroad, photographing hotels, city views, railroad lines, important buildings, and more. The collection contains more than three hundred of his photochroms with views from all over North America.
Full Extent
2.48 Linear Feet : (3 archival boxes; 1 oversize item box).
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
309 color lithographic prints, created using the photochrom process, published by the Detroit Photographic Company from photograph negatives taken by William Henry Jackson.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in 3 series:
Provenance
Gift of the Howard Gotlieb Trust, December 2019. Donation was facilitated by Kristin Miller, Director of Advancement for the College of Visual and Performing Arts.
General
Complete inventory available upon request. Contact Special Collections & Archives at rbsc@niu.edu.
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Nora Jiménez, Archivist, NIU Special Collections and Archives
- Date
- May 2024.
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Northern Illinois University Repository
Founders Memorial Library
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb IL 60115 US
815-753-9392
rhcua@niu.edu
