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

Dan Tilden and Friend Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Dan Tilden & Friend Image Description: (s592) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads.	Slaughterhouse, Promontory Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Slaughter House Promentory (sic) Image Description: (s514) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation --...
Steamer Kate Conner, Bear River, Wasatch Mountains in Foreground Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Steamer Kate Conner Bear River Corinne Image Description: (s502a) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation...	Group at S.B. Reed's Office, Echo Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Group at S.B. Reed Office Echo Image Description: (s606) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation --...
Distant View of Castle Rock Station Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Distant view of Castle Rock Station Image Description: (s272) see Title. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation --...	Eagle Rocks, Echo Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Eagle Rocks, Echo Image Description: (s343) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads. Remarks...
Echo City from Conglomerate Peaks Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Echo City from Conglomerate Peaks Image Description: (s342) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation --...	Front Street, Columbus Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: 39 Front Street Columbus (Scratched on negative) Image Description: (39) Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative, 5"X8". Sub. Cat.:...
Ripple Lake, White Pine Canyon Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Ripple Lake White Pine Canon Image Description: (s464) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation --...	Tunnel No. 4, Weber Canyon, Eastern Portal Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Tunnel No. 4 Weber Canon, eastern portal Image Description: (s384) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation...
Looking across the Summits of the Wasatch Mountains Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Looking across the summits of the Wasatch Mountains Image Description: (s431) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.:...	Castle Rock Station Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Castle Rock Station Image Description: (s271) see Title. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads.
Castle Rock, No. 2, [Echo] Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Duplicate 270 Castle Rock No. 2, Echo. Image Description: (s270b) see Title. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation...	Temporary Bridge, Devils Gate Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: No 210 Temporary Bridge Devil's Gate 210 (Scratched on negative) Image Description: See title. Physical Description: "Imperial Plate" collodion glass negative, 10"X13 "....
Temporary and Permanent Bridge, Green River, Citadel Rock in Distance Andrew J. Russell 1869 78 Temporary and Permanent Bridge Green River Citadel Rock in Distance (Scratched on negative). Train of track, snow on ground, men and buildings also visible."A handcar sits on the old bridge,...	Promontory Trestle, Engine on Trestle, West, No. 3 Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: 221 Promontory Trestle Engine on Trestle West (?) No 3 (Scratched on negative) Image Description: See title. Physical Description: "Imperial Plate" collodion glass...
Bird's Eye View of Weber Canyon Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Bird's Eye view of Weber Canon Image Description: (s443) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation --...	Birds Eye View of Cheyenne Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: 64 Birds Eye View of Cheyenne (Scratched on negative) Image Description: (s64) See title. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative, 5"X8"....
Warner and Whitman's Group, Echo Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Warner & Whitman Group Echo Image Description: (s609) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation --...	Dan Casements at Echo Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Dan Casements at Echo Image Description: (s608) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative. Sub. Cat.: Transportation -- Railroads....
Green River Bridge, Temporary Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: 185 Green River Bridge Temporary (scratched on negative) Image Description: (s185) See title. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative, 5"X8"....	Looking down on Salt Lake Valley from the Wasatch Mountains, from Elevation of 2000 Feet Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Looking down on Salt Lake Valley from the wasatch Mts. from elevation of 2000 feet Image Description: (s442) see Title Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass...
Excursion Party on Devil's Gate Bridge Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: Excurtion (sic) Party on Devil's Gate Bridge (Scratched on negative) 212 Image Description: See title. See also 69.459.2015. Physical Description: "Imperial Plate"...	Rawlings, Machine Shops from West Andrew J. Russell 1869 Photograph. Title: 149 Rawlings Machine Shops from West (scratched on negative) Image Description: (s149) See title. Physical Description: Stereographic collodion glass plate negative, 5"X8...