Andrew J. Russell
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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1869
"Boulders and Timber, Black Hills #97" "Sedgwick #88" - #88 is correct Russell number. Old Number may be Russell negative number. See donor file."97. Rockey Way, Black Hills" title per Glenn... |
1869
Sedgwick. Showing Devil's shoot, river and bridge. Russell #s 376,396,389??? Across the Continent. 3. Weber Canyon; Mormons and Great Salt Lake City. - In wood file cabinet. In this next section,... |
1869
"Sedgwick #265 270ft" Tunnel no.2 Head of Echo. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file. |
1869
#395 Entrance to tunnel no. 4. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file. |
1869
"Trestle - the North Platte #51" Man sitting on bridge over river. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file. "51. Great Trestle Bridge over North Platte... |
1869
"Fremont" #531a View of Fremont from Hotel veranda. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file. "A. Fremont from of Hotel" title per Glenn Willumson... |
1869
"Old Tower. Chruch Buttes #201 Rock formation. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file. |
1869
"Sedgwick #521" Salisbury's Cut, promontory. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file. |
1869
"Sedgwick #515" Great Trestle at promontory. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file. |
1869
"T.Pot Gr.Ri. distant view #188" Rock formation, men in foreground. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file. |
1869
"Scorpion hill looking down" #278. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file."221. Looking Down Temporary Track from Wasatch." "The Great Z is a switchback track." Remarks and... |
1869
"Machine shops Grand Island" #548 Engine emerging from shop door. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file."48. Round Houses, Grand Island " title per Glenn Willumson for the NEA... |
1869
"Looko W. #29" Machine shops from Lumberyard. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file."28. Machine Shops, Omaha Lookin West (example of substitution. 29 is also the machine shops... |
1869
"Sedgwick #20" Interior of Pullman Palace Car. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file."18. Interior of Passenger Coach, Omaha" title per Glenn Willumson for the NEA Russell... |
1869
"Sedgwick" #324 Witches Rock with group Echo City. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file. |
1869
"Sedgwick #535" Junction of Rails Promontory. Old number Russell negative number. See donor file. |
1869
Sedgwick #291. View of tracks framed by angular rocks. Echo Canyon vicinity? Across the Continent. 2. Echo Canyon;Bear R.; Unita Mts. - In wood file cabinet. In this next section, I have grouped... |
1869
"Snow and Timber WPC" #475. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file. |
1869
"Getting Ready to lay the last rail" #542. Old number Russell negative number. See donor file."Before Laying the last Rail - Promontory, Utah" title per Glenn Willumson for the NEA Russell Grant... |
1869
"Fremont" #530 Livery stable and Fremont House. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file."31. Distant View of Fremont Hotel" title per Glenn Willumson for the NEA Russell Grant,... |
1869
"Sedgwick #257" Rainstorm on Spectre Lake. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file. |
1869
"Churches, Cheyenne" #71. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file.Titles derived from the lists on the verso of Russell stereographs published after his return to New York in... |
1869
"#277. Temple Rock Kanyon." Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file. |
1869
North Platte machine shops from N.W. #59. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file. |