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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Dead Fall, Promontory Andrew J. Russell 1869 "Sedgwick #533" Dead Fall, Promotory, camp view. Old number Russell negative number. See donor file.	Distant View of Great Trestle Andrew J. Russell 1869 "Sedgwick #528" Distant View of Great Trestle. Old number Russell negative number. See donor file.
Cribwork Bridge, Green River Andrew J. Russell 1869 "#185 Sedgwick" Cribwork bridge, Green River. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file.	Beaver Dam, Parley's Park Andrew J. Russell 1869 "Sedgwick #471 White P. Canyon" Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file.
Dale Creek Bridge from Above Andrew J. Russell 1869 "Dale Creek Bridge from above #103". Old Number may be Russell negative number. See donor file."103. Dale Creek Bridge from Above" title per Glenn Willumson. "The Dale Creek Bridge was one of the...	Distant View of Rawlings Andrew J. Russell 1869 "Sedgwick 152 Rawlings station." Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file."152. Distant View of Rawlings" title per Glenn Willumson for the NEA Russell Grant, July 2013 - June...
Passenger Coach, UPRR Andrew J. Russell 1869 "reverse #19" Union Pacific Passenger car beside building in snow. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file."Passenger Coach, UPRR" title per Glenn Willumson for the NEA Russell...	North Platte Looking East Andrew J. Russell 1869 "N. Platte looking east #53" View of machine shops and water tank. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file.
Great Trestle Bridge, with Engine Andrew J. Russell 1869 "Sedgwick #52" Great Trestle Bridge, with engine. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file."52. Great Trestle Bridge, with engine" title per Glenn Willumson for the NEA Russell...	Legislative Halls, Cheyenne Andrew J. Russell 1869 "#69" Legislative Halls, Cheyenne. Men standing in front of post office. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file."Legislative Halls, Cheyenne" title per Glenn Willumson for the...
Lookout Peak, Black Hills Andrew J. Russell 1869 High peaks near sher. #82 St. Does not correspond to Russel negative #82. Shows showy mountain scene. Across the Continent. 1. Omaha to Green R. - In wood file cabinet. In this next section, I...	Coalville, Birds Eye View Andrew J. Russell 1869 "Sedgwick #446 Coalville" Birds eye view. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file.
Looking up the Weber from Side of Mountain Above Tunnel No. 3 Andrew J. Russell 1869 "Sedgwick" #387 Looking up Weber from tunnel no. 3. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file.	Depot Buildings, Wasatch Andrew J. Russell 1869 "Wasatch Station" #239. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file."289. Depot Buildings, Wasatch" title per Glenn Willumson for the NEA Russell Grant, July 2013 - June 2015.
Grand Prairie View near Grand Island Andrew J. Russell 1869 "#50" Grand Prairie view near Grand Island. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file.	Looking Down the Weber from Stone Quarry Andrew J. Russell 1869 "#381 Looking down Weber from Stone Quarry. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file."381. Looking down the Weber from Stone Quarry" title per Glenn Willumson for the NEA Russell...
Echo Canyon from Temple Rock Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Image Description: Shows "Finger Rock" in Weber Canyon, Utah, along the construction route of the Union Pacific leg of the transcontinental railroad. Physical Description: Albumen...	Cut No. 2 , West of Wasatch Andrew J. Russell 1869 Looko up Echo Canyon; Sedgwick #299. Shows engine on tracks. Across the Continent. 2. Echo Canyon;Bear R.; Unita Mts. - In wood file cabinet. In this next section, I have grouped the slides,...
Castle Rock Station Andrew J. Russell 1869 "Castle Rock Station" #271. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file. Castle Rock Station served as both a stage station and pony express station.	Side Cutting Andrew J. Russell 1869 "#183 Side cutting" Snow tracks with standing man. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file."As the Union Pacific excavated a road bed for the new track, they discovered a wealth...
Giants Club, Green River Andrew J. Russell 1869 "#175 Giant's club. Green R." Large rock formation. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file.	Windmill, Columbus Andrew J. Russell 1869 "Sedgwick #38" Two men on windmill platform, Columbus. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file."38. Windmill, Columbus" title per Glenn Willumson for the NEA Russell Grant, July...
Quaking Aspen Grove, White Pine Canyon Andrew J. Russell 1869 "#448" Quaking Aspen Grove, White Pine Canyon. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file.	Eastern Portal of Tunnel No. 3 Andrew J. Russell 1869 "Sedgwick" #388 Eastern portal of tunnel no. 3. Old number may be Russell negative number. See donor file.