Excelsior geyser before 1891

Frank Jay Haynes captured this albumen silver print of the Excelsior Geyser sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. Haynes was the official photographer for the Northern Pacific Railroad, and his images played a crucial role in promoting tourism to Yellowstone National Park. Think about how photography itself was developing as both an artistic medium and a tool for documentation. Haynes' images walk a line between objective record and romantic vision. The sublime power of nature is on full display, but it's also carefully framed to appeal to a particular audience. The late 19th century was a time of westward expansion in the United States. Railroads and national parks were promoted as symbols of progress and national identity. To understand this image fully, we can look at the advertising campaigns of the Northern Pacific Railroad. We can also look at the history of Yellowstone as a protected space, and the complex relationship between conservation, tourism, and indigenous populations. Haynes' photograph reminds us that even seemingly straightforward depictions of nature are shaped by social forces and institutional agendas.