William Henry Jackson: Yellowstone’s Pioneer Photographer

Presented by Lee Silliman, historian & curator
Aug. 20, 2026 @ Noon
Western Heritage Center

Sponsored by Montana Arts Council, C&A Grant
We are funded in part by coal severance taxes paid based upon coal mined in Montana and deposited in Montana’s cultural and aesthetic projects trust fund.

Explore a rare collection of vintage 1871 William Henry Jackson alberttypes that are the first depictions of Yellowstone National Park. Jackson was privileged to be appointed the official photographer for Ferdinand Hayden’s epic governmental exploration of the Yellowstone Plateau during the summer of 1871. These images created the first large assemblage of photographic images taken in Yellowstone and were used to produce multiple alberttype copies to be used in the congressional effort to establish Yellowstone as our first national park.

Regular Admission Rates Apply