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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On the Mountains, Green River, Smith's Rock in Foreground Andrew J. Russell 1868 72 On the Mountains Green River Smith's Rock in Foreground (Scratched on negative)."O.C. Smith was a cashier for the Union Pacific. He also assisted Russell with some of his photographic work."...	Great Cut, Bitter Creek Andrew J. Russell 1868 No 71 Great Cut Bitter Creek One of the Longest on Line of Road, Green River Mountains seen in Distance
High Bluff, Black Buttes Andrew J. Russell 1868 60 No High Bluff Black Buttes (Scratched on negative).	Valley of the Great Laramie from the Mountains Andrew J. Russell 1868 25 No Valley of the Great Laramie from from the Mountains. (Scratched on Negative)"Russell accompanied Hayden on an exploration of Wyoming in 1868. Ferdinand V. Hayden was an American geologist...
Pay Day, Echo City Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Pay Day Image Description: (s586) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads.	On the Mountains of Green River Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: No 171 On the Mountains of Green River (Scratched on Negative) Image Description: (171) See title. Men and women with horses. Physical Description: Stereographic...
East End No. 76, Miller and Patterson's Tunnel at Head of Echo Canyon Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Miller and Patterson's Tunnel at Head of Echo Canon, east end Image Description: (s267b) see Title. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub...	Mr. and Mrs. Blair Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Mr. and Mrs. Blair Image Description: see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads.
Brigham Young's Theater, Great Salt Lake City Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Image Description: Brigham Young Theater, Salt Lake City (s477c) Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads....	Interior of Tent Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Image Description: (s615b) Interior of Tent Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads. Remarks: See also...
Cut and Fill No. 3, West of Granite Canyon Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: 75 Cut & Fill No 3 West of (Granite Cannon) (Scratched on negative) Image Description: (s75) See title. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate...	[Dale Creek Bridge] Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Image Description: (s115) Dale Creek from above Bridge. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative, 5"X8". Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads...
Smith's Rock, Green River Valley Andrew J. Russell 1868 (64b) Smith's Rock, Green River Valley."This rocky promontory above the Green River is presumably named after the Union Pacific cashier, O. C. Smith. Smith was a friend of the photographer Andrew...	[Pulpit Rock, Looking up Weber] Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Image Description: Pulpit Rock, looking up Weber (s333) Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads.
[Men at Work on Rock Cut] Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Image Description: (s191b) Men at work on side cut. See also 69.459.2170. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative, 5"X8". Sub. Cat.:...	Unloading Ties and Iron, End of Track Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Image Description: (s162) Unloading ties and iron, end of track. Work train in view. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative, 5"X8". Sub. Cat...
T.H. Hind and Niece, Echo City Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: T.H. Hind and Niece, Echo City Image Description: (s349b) see Title. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation --...	Dining Room of Construction Corps, West End of Tunnel, No Echo [Camp] Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: 230 Dining room of construction corps West end of tunnel No Echo camp (scratched on negative) Image Description: (s230) See title. Men in front of log building. Physical...
Snow and Timber Line near Laramie, Medicine Bow Mountains Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: No 88 Snow and Timber Line Medicine Bow Mts near Laramie (scratched on negative) Image Description: (s144) See title. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass...	Engineers' Camp near Tunnel No. 1, Weber Canyon Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Engineers Camp near Tunnel No 1 Weber Canon Image Description: (s600) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.:...
Amphitheatre Rocks, Black Buttes Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: 155 Amphathere (sic) rocks Black Butes (sic) (scratched on negative) Image Description: (s155) See title. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate...	Grader's Cabins, Reynolds and Dowling's Headquarters, Quaking Asp Hill Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: 207 Grader Cabins Reynolds & Dowlings Hdqrs Quaking Asp Hills (scratched on negative) Image Description: (s207a) See title. See also 69.459.2185. Physical...
[Carmichael] Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: C.(?) C. (?) Carmichael (Scratched on Negative) Image Description: (s170) See title. Portrait. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative, 5"X8...	Deep Cut No. 1, West of Narrows of Weber Canyon showing the Manner of Excavation Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Deep Cut No. 1 West of Narrows of Weber Cannon, Showing the manner of excavation Image Description: (s372) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass...