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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Union Pacific Railroad from an Elevation of 3000 Feet Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Union Pacific RR from an elevation of 3000 feet Image Description: (s432) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.:...	Temporary Bridge, Devil's Gate, Weber Canyon showing Wasatch Mountains in Distance Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Temporary Bridge Devil's Gate, Weber Canyon showing Wasatch Mts. in distance Image Description: (s402) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate...
Rocky Way, Black Hills Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: 97 Rockey Way Black Hills (Scratched on Negative) Image Description: (s96) See title. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative, 5"X8". Sub...	Weber Valley from Below Echo City Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: 180 Weber Valley from below Echo City (Scratched on negative) Image Description: See title. Town in distance. Physical Description: "Imperial Plate" collodion glass...
Pulpit Rock, Looking East Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Pulpit Rock Image Description: (s334) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads. Remarks: listed in...	Green River Bridge, Showing Crib Work Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: 181 Green River Bridge showing Crib Work (scratched on negative) Image Description: (s181) See title. Snow on grond. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass...
Main Street of Fremont Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Main Street of Fremont 32 (Scratched on negative) Image Description: (s32) See title. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative, 5"X8". Sub...	Testing Combination Bridge, Devil's Gate, Weber Canyon Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: No 207 Testing Combination Bridge Devil's Gate Weber Canon (Scratched on negative) Image Description: See title. Physical Description: "Imperial Plate" collodion glass...
Looking across Dale Creek Canyon below Bridge Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: 120 Looking across Dale Creek Canon (sic) below bridge (scratched on negative). Image Description: (s120) See title. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass...	Eagle Rock from the Old Ironwood Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Eagle Rock from the old ironwood Image Description: (s322) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation --...
Looking West from Hotel Cheyenne Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: 61 Looking West from Hotel Cheyenne (Scratched on negative) Image Description: (s61) See title. View of buildings and open landscape. Physical Description: Stereographic...	Hotel Cheyenne Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: 60 Hotel Cheyenne (Scratched on negative) Image Description: (s60) See title. Hotel beside tracks. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative, 5"...
Combination Bridge, Weber Canyon at Devil's Gate Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: No 206 Combination Bridge Weber Canon at Devil's Gate (Scratched on negative) Image Description: See title. Physical Description: "Imperial Plate" collodion glass negative...	[Shoshone Indians] Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Image Description: Shoshone Indians Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads.
Tunnel No. 2, Head of Echo Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Tunnel No. 2 Head of Echo Image Description: (s265) see Title. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads...	Green River Station Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: 180 Green River Station (scratched on negative) Image Description: (s180) Station with train. Engine Number 86. See also 69.459.2162. Physical Description:...
Citadel Rock, Green River Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Image Description: (s179) Citadel Rock, Green River. Rock in distance with tracks and buildings in front. Snow on ground. (Scratched on negative) Physical Description...	Squaws Gambling for Beads Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Squaws gambling for beads Image Description: (s582) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads.
Assembling to Lay Last Rail Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Assembling to lay last Rail Image Description: (s534) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads...	Front Street, Sacramento, California Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Front Street Sacramento California Image Description: (s560) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation --...
Fremont Hotel, Near View Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: 33 Fremont Hotel near view (Scratched on negative) Image Description: (s31) See title. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative, 5"X8". Sub...	Finger Rock, Weber Canyon Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: No 189 Finger Rock Weber Cannon (Scratched on negative) Image Description: See title. Physical Description: "Imperial Plate" collodion glass negative, 10"X13 ". Sub. Cat...
Devil's Gate, Dale Creek Canyon Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: No 28 Devils Gate Dale Creek Cannon (scratched on negative). Image Description: (s117) See title. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative, 5"X8...	North's Camp, Weber Canyon Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: North's Camp Weber Canon Image Description: (s418) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads....