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.

View results as Grid View results as List Browse Full Collection Advanced Search

Black Buttes Station, Black Buttes in Distance Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: 153 Black Butes (sic) Station Black Butes (sic) in distance (scratched on negative) Image Description: (s153) See title. Train on tracks. Tents beside track. Physical...	Echo Station, Head of Echo Canyon, on line of U.P.R.R. Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Echo Station, head of Echo Cannon, on line of UPRR Image Description: (s302) see Title. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.:...
Carmichael's Cut, Bitter Creek Valley Andrew J. Russell 1868 64 Carmichael's Cut Bitter Creek Valley (Scratched on negative). Workmen in cut."This excavation cut was approximately 60 feet high and 100 feet long and was photographed several times. Cut...	Valley of the Little Laramie from Sheet Mountains Andrew J. Russell 1868 (54) Valley of the Little Laramie from Sheet Mountains.
Carmichael's Work on Bitter Creek, Green River Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: 169 Carmichael's work on Bitter Creek Green River Image Description: (s169) See title. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative, 5"X8". Sub....	Carmichael's Cut, Bitter Creek Valley near Green River Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Image Description: (s168) Carmichael's Cut, Bitter Creek. Viewed from above. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative, 5"X8". Sub. Cat.:...
Mrs. Lamb Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Mrs. Lamb Image Description: see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads.	General Grant and Party at Fort Sanders Andrew J. Russell 1868 (37b) General Grant and Party at Fort Sanders. Left to right: at far right is Grenville Dodge next to him is Sidney Dillon beside him is General Phillip Sherdian at center by bird cage is General...
General Grant and Party at Fort Sanders, Summer of '68 Andrew J. Russell 1868 No 37 Gen Grant & Party at Fort Sanders Summer of '68 (Scratched on negative). Close up view of 69.459.1873. Negative number is 37a for this image."This group traveled West to sign the Ft....	General Casement on Horseback Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Image Description: (s206) General Casement on horseback. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads. Remarks...
Bridge at Mouth of Weber Canyon Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Bridge at mouth of Weber Cannon Image Description: (s435a) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation --...	Echo Canyon, Looking from up the Great Eastern Rock Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Echo Cannon, looking from up the Great Eastern Rock Image Description: (s311) Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation...
Casement's Cars, Aspen Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: 211 Casements Cars Aspen Image Description: (s211) See title. Man posing in front of car. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.:...	General Casement's Corps at Work, Laying Track on Muddy Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Duplicate 210 Gen. Casements Corps at work Laying Track on Muddy Instantaneous View No. 8 (scratched on negative) Image Description: (s210b) See title. See also 69.459....
Among the Timber of Laramie Mountains, Head of Little Laramie Andrew J. Russell 1868 (54a) Among the timber of the Laramie Mountains, head of Little Laramie. Men in camp in foreground."Russell accompanied Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden on an exploration of Wyoming in 1868" remarks per...	Laramie Shops Rear View from Southwest Andrew J. Russell 1868 43 Laramie Shops Rear View from South West (Scratched on negative).
Laying Track on Muddy Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Image Description: (s210a) Laying track on [No 4, crossed out] Muddy. See also 69.459.2189. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.:...	Witches Rocks, Weber Canyon Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Witches Rocks Weber Canon Image Description: (s323) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads....
Residence of Brigham Young Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: 165 Residence of Brigham Young (Scratched on negative) Image Description: See title. Physical Description: "Imperial Plate" collodion glass negative, 10"X13 ". Sub. Cat.:...	Devil's Gate, Weber Canyon, Rocks 2000 Feet High Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Gate, Weber Canon rock 7000 feet Image Description: (s424) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation --...
Bowman's Cut, Near Sherman U.P.R.R. Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Image Description: (s78) Bowman's Cut near Sherman U.P.R.R.. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative, 5"X8". Sub. Cat.: Transportation...	Narrows of the Weber, No. 4 Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: 178 Narrows of the Weber no 4 (Scratched on negative) Image Description: See title. See also 69.459.1987, 1988, 1989. Physical Description: "Imperial Plate" collodion...
Brigham Young's Theater, Great Salt Lake City Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Brigham Young's Theater Great Salt Lake City Image Description: (s477a) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.:...	Untitled Andrew J. Russell 1868 Photograph. Title: Image Description: Portrait of a man standing before a rock formation. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation --...