Andrew J. Russell

Andrew Joseph Russell (1830 – 1902)

One of a handful of landscape photographers who shaped our perception of the American West in the 19th century, A. J. Russell’s work stands alongside of Carleton Watkins, Eadweard Muybridge and Timothy O’Sullivan in its aesthetic power and technical virtuosity. A large group of Russell’s original glass-plate negatives are preserved in the Collection of the Oakland Museum of California.

A painter as well as photographer, Russell worked for Matthew Brady before documenting the U.S. Military Railroad as a captain during the Civil War. After the war, he secured a position as official photographer for the Union Pacific Railroad in its massive endeavor to construct a transcontinental railroad. His photographs, culminating in the iconic “Joining of the Rails” at Promontory, Utah, capture the majestic scale of western lands, the gritty enterprise of railroad building, frontier boom towns, and the effect of railroads on Native Americans.

Russell’s photographs brought the railroad, and the American West, to a mass audience. Disseminated internationally as stereo views and engravings in newspapers, and filtered through Hollywood films and even advertising, Russell’s visual style continues to influence our image of western history and mythology.

In 1969 the Oakland Museum acquired nearly 650 collodion “wet plate” negatives in both stereo and “imperial” (10 X 13 inch) formats. The original glass camera negatives were made in the field by Russell himself, making the collection unique, among major 19th century landscape photographers. The Museum also holds one of the few surviving copies of The Great West Illustrated, an album of vintage albumen prints by Russell, as well as mounted stereo views and more than 100 glass lantern slides.

Russell’s photographs illuminate powerful themes in American history: westward expansion and Manifest Destiny, the displacement of native peoples, attitudes toward landscape and the natural environment, technological history (both engineering and photographic), and the important role of art and photography in shaping and expressing cultural concerns.

For the first time, high-resolution digital scans of the original glass-plate negatives are now available for online viewing. These scans are highly detailed and rich in searchable content.

This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

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Telegraph Corps at Work, Weber Canyon Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Telegraph Corps at work Weber Canon Image Description: (s398) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation --...	Front Street, Sherman, Looking West Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: 94 Front St. Sherman Looking West (Scratched on negative) Image Description: (s94) See title. Rail road tracks on left. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass...
Eating House, Promontory Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Eating House Promentory (sic) Image Description: (s544) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation --...	Group of Officials at Laying Last Rail Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Image Description: (s543) Group of Officials at laying Last Rail Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation --...
Surveying under Difficulties, Head of Bear River Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: 91 Surveying under Difficulties Head of Bear River (Scratched on negative) Image Description: See title. Physical Description: "Imperial Plate" collodion glass negative, 10...	Looking Down the Great Z Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: 231 Looking down the Great Z (scratched on negative) Image Description: (s231) See title. Train on track. Engine on trestle behind first train. Physical Description:...
Wasatch from the West Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: 218 Wasatch from the West (scratched on negative) Image Description: (s218) See title. Station buildings, train and supplies visible. Physical Description: Stereographic...	Constructing Temporary Bridge at Devil's Gate, Weber Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: No 204 Constructing Temporary Bridge at Devil's Gate Weber 204 (Scratched on negative) Image Description: See title . Physical Description: "Imperial Plate" collodion...
From Devil's Gate Looking East, No. 2 Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: No 203 From Devil's Gate Looking East No 2 (Scratched on negative) Image Description: See title. Physical Description: "Imperial Plate" collodion glass negative, 10"X13 "....	Echo City Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Echo City Image Description: (s319) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads. Remarks: listed...
Echo City from the South Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Echo City from the South Image Description: (s318) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads....	Snake Chiefs Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Image Description: (s579) Snake Chiefs Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads.
North's Camp from above, Mouth of the Weber Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: North's Camp from above mouth of the Weber Image Description: (s413) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.:...	Group of Horseman, Echo City Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Group of Horseman Echo City Image Description: (s587) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads...
Odd Fellows Train at Echo Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Odd Fellows train at Echo Image Description: (s356) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads....	Mountain Mahogany on Wasatch Mountains Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Mountain Mahogany on Wasatch Image Description: (s436a) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads...
Ceremony of Laying Last Rail Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Ceremony of Laying last Rail Image Description: (s537) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads...	Construction Bridge, Weber Canyon at Devil's Gate Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: No 205 Construction Bridge Weber Canon at Devil's Gate (Scratched on negative) Image Description: See title. Physical Description: "Imperial Plate" collodion glass...
Dale Creek [Bridge] from Above Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: 103 Dale Creek Bridge from above (Scratched on Negative) Image Description: (s103) See title. Building in ravine. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass...	Distant View of Reeds Rock, Summit U.P.R.R. Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: 86 Distant view of Reeds Rock Summit UPRR (Scratched on negative) Image Description: (s84) See title. Snow on ground. Log buildings at foot of rocks. Physical Description:...
Little Mack's Cut, Promontory, Cut No. 4, East of Promontory Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Little Mack's Cut Promentory (sic) Cut No. 4 East of Promentory (sic) Image Description: (s523) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate...	The Great Bend, Promontory Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: the Great Bend Promontory Image Description: (s522) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads...
Salsbury's Cut, Promontory Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Salsbury's Cut Promentory (sic) Image Description: (s521) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation --...	Distant View of Corinne Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Distant view of Corinne Image Description: (s508) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads.