Russell Andrew Joseph (1830-1902) Eighty-four Photographs of the American West c. 1869.

Russell, Andrew Joseph (1830-1902) Eighty-four Photographs of the American West, c. 1869. Albumen photographs developed from glass negatives, mostly 12 x 9 1/4 in., mounted on mat board, many of these images were published in Russell's The Great West Illustrated in a Series of Photographic Views across the Continent , c. 1869, which consisted of fifty photographs, this group includes additional photographs; images include two shots of the joining of the east and west bound rail lines, various cuts, stations, tunnels, and bridges, several shots of railroad workers gathered around trains and along the tracks; images of natural features, geological monuments; images of new buildings in Salt Lake City; Laramie; Bitter Creek; Echo Canyon; and other locations, some identified in a contemporary hand, others unlabeled; some condition issues, including fading, fly specking, foxing, spotting, tears, and other faults, the group should be viewed. [and] Eleven other mid-19th century photographs, including three photographs of Cuba, two shots of the construction of a very long trestle bridge; and six others. (95) Russell was born in New Hampshire and grew up in New York, he served as a photographer for the military railroad during the Civil War. The Union Pacific Railroad employed Russell to record its transcontinental progress in evocative images that documented both remarkable engineering efforts and an equally impressive natural scenery.