Walker Art Studio photonegatives: inventory of collection at SW Studies Center

Years this material was created: early 20th century
Quantity: approximately 5,000 photonegatives, including 483 digitized glass plate negatives
© 2003 by Fort Lewis College Foundation, Center of Southwest Studies account

This collection contains approximately 5,000 historic photonegatives (including nearly 500 glass plate photonegatives, which the Center has digitized and displayed on its website) of western and southwestern Colorado, including Montrose, Ouray, Silverton, Telluride, Durango, and adjacent areas, . These are the work of approximately five photography studios including the Walker Art Studio (Montrose, Colo.).

Acquisition of this collection: These photonegatives were purchased by the Fort Lewis College Foundation from Main Street Photography (Montrose, Colo.) for the Center of Southwest Studies in 1999 and 2000. The accession numbers are 1999:10015 (including glass plate photonegatives #s P0421500 through P0422525, which the Center has digitized and displayed on its website) and 2000:05005 (which includes nitrate photonegatives, stored offsite).

About the organization of this collection: Because we do not expect to add to this collection, the photonegatives are numbered in one single numbering scheme that is part of the Center's numbering of its photonegatives. The glass plate negatives in accession 1999:10015 are numbered consecutively in one series from 1,500 to 2,525.

Processing information: This guide was produced by Todd Ellison, Certified Archivist, Center of Southwest Studies; last revised February 20, 2006. The glass plates were archivally rehoused by Jaymie Asmussen in 2000-01. Digitization of glass plates numbers 1,500 through 2,525 was begun 7/19/2001 by Nik Kendziorski and finished 8/29/2001. Initial data entry of the image metadata was by student archival assistants at the Center of Studies, 2000-01 .

Funding/ acknowledgments: Funding for the digitization/ online image access project was provided by Colorado Digitization Program (CDP) grants as part of the Center’s Visual Access digitization project which is a part of the multi-state subsequently renamed Collaborative Digitization Program (as of April 2007, part of the Bibliographic Center for Research (BCR), in Denver). This joint venture is preserving traces of this region’s history that would have otherwise be unavailable.

The Center of Southwest Studies is grateful to the Fort Lewis College Foundation for funding the purchase of the Walker Art Studio collection of photonegatives. The Center also is thankful for the work of digitization consultant Nik Kendziorski. Together, we are collaboratively bridging the distance of time by making digital images available for educational research used by an extensive audience of Internet viewers.

Historical note (Source: Marilyn Cox, 970-249-6135, Montrose Historical Society)

Dex Walker started the Walker Art Studio and passed it on to his son Ben Walker. It is possible that the glass slides in this collection came from the McKee studio, also in Montrose.

Thomas Michael McKee was a well-known early day photographer whose Montrose shop was located where the Fox Theater now stands.

He was one of the first photographers in the Mesa Verde region, blazing his own trail into the area in 1889. He dug out old springs once used by the Cliff Dwellers in order to secure water for his work and camp use, and struggled to carry his large plate cameras over the cliffs and through the almost impenetrable oak brush. He set up his dark room in some of the inner rooms of Spruce Tree House and Cliff Palace.

McKee was one of the first to conduct experiments with radium; it was largely through his efforts that it came into general use. Carnotite, the ore from which radium is taken, was discovered in Montrose County by an Irishman named Duling. McKee used nitrate of uranium instead of gold in his photographic work.

From 1906 to 1920, McKee spent a great deal of time in Utah at the Ute Indian reservation. It was here that he learned the Ute language, customs and dances. He was well-acquainted with Chipeta and she often visited his Montrose home. In Utah he secured his famous collection of bead work and baskets which at one time were displayed in the lobby of the Fox Theater. The collection was later donated to the Ute Indian Museum.

During his years in Montrose, McKee produced thousands of photographs, including photos of the old army post at Fort Crawford. He spent several years as the official photographer for the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad.

A related site: http://photoswest.org/ -- the Denver Public Library has provided digital access to 190 images from the Walker Art Studio (Montrose, Colo.). (Click on the word Search on the left of that page, then the word Continue, then enter Walker Art Studio as your keyword search.)

Search suggestion: you can search this web page by name using the Edit-> Find in Page (Ctrl+F) feature on your Web browser.
Click on the web page address in the right-hand column to see the digital image.

Neg.#	Title of the photograph	Digital File URL -- click to view the image
1851	A play on stage, a maid and a man in a white coat in a house scene	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421851Page.htm
1978	Aerial view (Olathe, Colo.)	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421978Page.htm
1975	Aerial view from east (Spring Creek Mesa, Colo.)	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421975Page.htm
1977	Aerial view from north (Spring Creek Mesa, Colo.)	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421977Page.htm
1979	Aerial view from northeast (Montrose, Colo.)	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421979Page.htm
1976	Aerial view from southeast (Spring Creek Mesa, Colo.)	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421976Page.htm
1974	Aerial view of Montrose (Colo.) and valley from south	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421974Page.htm
1694	Aerial view of town buildings (Montrose, Colo.)	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421694Page.htm
1606	Apple orchard with people	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421606Page.htm
1710	Apple trees with fruit and supports for full branches	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421710Page.htm
1801	Archaeological worker with skeleton in situ	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421801Page.htm
1872	Arrangement of fruit on their branches	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421872Page.htm
1708	Artesian well with small geyser	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421708Page.htm
1711	Artesian well with water emerging	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421711Page.htm
1716	Aspen tree grove	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421716Page.htm
1955	Back yard with a hammock on Cog Road (Denver, Colo.)	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421955Page.htm
1888	Barn within a fence	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421888Page.htm
1908	Big Thompson Canyon (Colo.) (tinted photo)	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421908Page.htm
1964	Black Canyon (Colo.) looking down from east rim, with Crystal Creek visible	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421964Page.htm
1963	Black Canyon East Rim (Gunnison, Colo.)	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421963Page.htm
1806	Black dog with a white chest	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421806Page.htm
1890	Box of apples	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421890Page.htm
1937	Boy and dog standing on overlook (tinted photo)	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421937Page.htm
1787	Boy and peach in front of peach tree (tinted version)	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421787Page.htm
1635	Boyle Com. Co. potatoes car and driver	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421635Page.htm
1834	Boys dressed as men with mustaches (Montrose, Colo.)	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421834Page.htm
1835	Boys dressed like men sitting in or on a car (Montrose, Colo.)	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421835Page.htm
1712	Branch of apples	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421712Page.htm
1586	Brick plant	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421586Page.htm
1876	Brick plant	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421876Page.htm
1761	Bricks being dried and processed; kiln in background	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421761Page.htm
1780	Bridal Veil Falls (Colo.) sheer rock drop with buildings at the top	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421780Page.htm
1721	Bride and groom	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421721Page.htm
1627	Bridge over river with town in background	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421627Page.htm
1942	Brush-filled gully (tinted photo)	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421942Page.htm
1869	Budweiser beer pack train	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421869Page.htm
1866	Budweiser pack train	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421866Page.htm
1682	Building (Montrose, Colo.)	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421682Page.htm
1686	Building with man and boy to the side	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421686Page.htm
1648	Building with people, wagons and horses outside	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421648Page.htm
1563	Building, cables, gondola, and tree stumps	http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421563Page.htm

Preface	Introduction/ Scope and contents	Historical note	List of photonegatives, by title
		Administrative information
Center of Southwest Studies collection inventories			Center of Southwest Studies