Cinnabar Mountain, Devil Slide

1880s

Frank Jay Haynes

(American, 1853–1921)

Culture

America

Medium

albumen print from wet collodion negative

Measurements

Image: 44.6 x 54.8 cm (17 9/16 x 21 9/16 in.); Paper: 45.4 x 55.6 cm (17 7/8 x 21 7/8 in.); Matted: 61 x 76.2 cm (24 x 30 in.)

Credit Line

John L. Severance Fund 1993.217

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Location

Not on view

Description

A gifted photographer, both aesthetically and technically, Haynes skillfully composed the various elements in this mammoth plate print depicting an expansive, arid landscape with the Cinnabar Mountains in the background. Railroad tracks diagonally cross the composition, providing visual vitality and narrative richness. The large glass negative and albumen printing process allowed Haynes to convey the panoramic view with clarity and fidelity, while responding to the scene’s stunning natural illumination. Beginning in the late 1870s, this Michigan-born artist spent most of his impressive career documenting the entire Northwest as the official photographer for the Northern Pacific Railroad until 1905.