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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Eastern Approach to Dale Creek Bridge Andrew J. Russell 1868 19 1/2 Man sitting on cut logs, above curve in R.R. tracks with Dale Creek Bridge in distance."19 1/2. Eastern Approach to Dale Creek Bridge" title per Glenn Willumson. "Title source from the...	Pulpit Rock, Mouth of Echo Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Pulpit Rock mouth of Echo Image Description: (s336) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads...
Looking up Green River Valley from R.R. Track Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Image Description: (s193) Looking up Green River Valley from R.R. track. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation --...	Near Castle on the Mountain, Sagebrush in Foreground Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Image Description: shows Castle Rock at Head of Echo Canyon (s268) Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads...
Looking down the Weber River from Echo City Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Looking down the Weber River from Echo City Image Description: (s321) see title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.:...	Green River, Side Cut Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: 192 Green River Side Cut (scratched on negative) Image Description: (s192) See title. See also 69.459.2170 and 69.459.2171. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion...
Hall's Fill near Summit Station, Black Hill Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Image Description: (s80) Hall's Fill near Summit Station Black Hills. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative, 5"X8". Sub. Cat.:...	Coalville, Weber Valley Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Plate 36 Coalville, Weber Valley (Mask on negative) Image Description: See title. Physical Description: "Imperial Plate" collodion glass negative, 10"X13 ". Sub. Cat.:...
Carmichael's Cut, Bitter Creek, Cart Horses [...] at Work Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: No 166 C(armichaels) Cut Bitter Creek Carts Horses at W(ork) (Scratched on negative) Image Description: (s166) See title. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion...	High Bluffs, Dale Creek Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Image Description: (s116) High Bluffs, Dale Creek. People posing in front of buildings and rock. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative, 5"X8...
Among the Timber of the Laramie Mountains Andrew J. Russell 1868 No 53 Among the timber of the Laramie Mountains (Scratched on negative).Three men in foreground."Russell accompanied the explorer-scientist, Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden, on an exploration of...	Distant View of Pulpit Rock at Mouth of Echo Canyon or Sentinel Rock, Weber Valley Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: 123 No Distant View of Pulpit Rock at Mouth of Echo Cannon or Sentinel Rock Weber Valley (Scratched on negative) Image Description: See title. Physical Description: "...
Rocky Mountain Hotel, Rooms to Let on Ground Floor Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Rocky Mountain Hotel Rooms to let on ground floor Image Description: (s283) see Title. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.:...	Untitled Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Image Description: Portrait of a woman with hands folded. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads.
City Creek Canyon, No. 2 Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: No 158 City Creek Cannon No 2 (Scratched on negative) Image Description: See title. See also 69.459.1970. Physical Description: "Imperial Plate" collodion glass negative...	Brigham Young's Theater, Great Salt Lake City Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Brigham Young's Theater Great Salt Lake City Image Description: (s477b) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.:...
Distant View, Dale Creek Bridge Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: 105 Distant view Dale Creek Bridge (Scratched on Negative) Image Description: (s105) See title. Building in ravine. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate...	Miller and Patterson Work, Dale Creek Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: 127 Miller & Patterson Work Dale Creek (scratched on negative) Image Description: (s127) See title. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate...
[Bushnell and Party, Rock Creek] Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: 146 (scratched on negative) Image Description: (s146) Bushnell and Party, Rock Creek. Seated at dining table. See also 69.459.2128 and 69.459.2129. Physical Description...	Lime Kiln Cut, Granite [Canyon] Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: 72 Lime Kiln Cut Granite Cannon (Scratched on negative) Image Description: (s72) See title. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative, 5"X8...
Looking up Weber Valley from the Narrows Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: 173 Looking up Weber Valley from the Narrows (Scratched on negative) Image Description: See title. Physical Description: "Imperial Plate" collodion glass negative, 10"X13...	Reynolds and Dowling's Camp, Quaking Asp Hill, U.P.R.R. Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: No 31 Reynolds and (Dowlings) (Q)uaking Asp (Hills) (UPR)R (scratched on negative) Image Description: (s207b) See title. See also 69.459.2186. Physical Description:...
Old Stage Station at Echo Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Image Description: Old Stage Station, at Echo (s357) Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads. Also a pony...	Mormon Family Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Image Description: (131b) Mormon Family. On man with women and children in front of a log building. Physical Description: "Imperial Plate" collodion glass negative, 10"X13...