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If you have information to share about the photographers mentioned in this blog or have questions about other 19th century Colorado photographers, please send me an e-mail.

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A Giant Potato–Was It Real or A Hoax?
A photograph of a giant potato grown in Colorado became an international sensation in the 1890s. It started innocently enough. Joseph B. Swan was a successful potato farmer in southeast Loveland. In October 1894, a committee appointed by the Larimer County Commissioners visited the Swan farm, measured an acre of the land, and watched as […]
A. H. Jones, Grand Junction Photographer
Archie Hull Jones was born in Davenport, Iowa, on March 3, 1873, to Theodore M. Jones, a photographer, and Mary Eliza Rice Jones. The family moved to Moline, Illinois, in the late 1870s, where T. M. Jones continued working as a photographer. A decade later, the Jones family moved to Grand Junction, Colorado. Archie’s […]
Scenes Along the Colorado Midland Railway by J. L. Clinton and W. I. Rudy
The 222-mile Colorado Midland Railway ran between Colorado Springs and Aspen via Leadville, providing access to remote mining areas. The train also offered tourist excursions, often highlighting wildflowers along the route. Completed in 20 months, it was the first train to use standard-gauge rails over the Continental Divide in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. Passenger service began […]
Oliver Aultman’s Portrait of a Buffalo Soldier
The Aultman Studio was a fixture in Trinidad, Colorado, for more than 100 years. It was started by Oliver E. Aultman in 1890, and he was later joined by his brother, Otis. After Oliver Aultman’s death in 1954, his son Glen ran the studio until his own death in 2000. The Aultmans produced very artistic […]
Bates & Nye’s Photographs of Women Held Hostage by Native Americans
Tension At White River Reservation In the late 1870s, white settlers began to increasingly populate western Colorado, unsettling the approximately 800 Utes who resided on a reservation in the northwestern part of the state. Ute warriors led raids against the settlers. Their threats and intimidation made national headlines. The government appointed Nathanial Meeker, a journalist […]
Amelia Norder, Studio Assistant to Denver Photographer Joseph Collier
Amelia Norder was born in Sweden on June 22, 1871. As a young child, she immigrated to the United States with her father, Peter Norder, a blacksmith. She was raised by a family friend in Minnesota. By 1888, Amelia was living in Denver and working as a clerk for photographer Joseph Collier. He noticed her […]
Researching George Mellen’s Journey to Colorado
George Mellen arrived in Gunnison, Colorado in 1880 and immediately began making finely composed stereoviews and boudoir cards of the new and growing town. A few years later, Mellen worked for the renowned landscape photographer, William Henry Jackson in Denver, Colorado. This post will try to answer several questions about his early life. When was […]
John E. Beebe, Photographer, Dry Plate Manufacturer, and Advertising Executive
John E. Beebe was born into a prominent family on December 11, 1851, in Galena, Illinois, the fifth of ten children. His father, Thomas Hempstead Beebe (1819-1906), was the president of the Peshtigo Lumber Company, and his mother, Catherine Eddowes Beebe, was a native of Delaware. They met and married in Galena. The family moved […]
Britton Bros. and Their Unusual Photo Mount
Buffalo natives, Walter Raleigh Britton (1868-1934) and his brother, George Francis Britton (1870-1939), worked as photographers in Denver in the mid-1890s. Their cabinet card mounts provide many interesting details about their business. The back of the card shows portraits of both men. We learn that Walter worked behind the camera as the operator, while George […]
Watermelon Day In Rocky Ford, Colorado by J. E. Orr
In 1878, Rocky Ford farmer G. W. Swink offered slices of watermelon to train passengers passing through town. The following year, using the door of a Santa Fe boxcar for table space, a crowd of about fifty people celebrated the local melon. During the next decade, the celebration moved into the watermelon grove with a […]

19thcenturycoloradophotographers_d5uooh on Scenes Along the Colorado Midland Railway by J. L. Clinton and W. I. RudyMarch 26, 2026
Dear John, Thank you for your e-mail. Several photographers worked for the railroad. If you would like to send me…
John Rogers on Scenes Along the Colorado Midland Railway by J. L. Clinton and W. I. RudyMarch 25, 2026
I have 24 photos from the 1880's-1890's all have the Colorado Midland Railway Pike's Peak Route stamp on back.would these…
19thcenturycoloradophotographers_d5uooh on Researching George Mellen’s Journey to ColoradoNovember 1, 2025
Hi Kathy, I'm co-authoring a longer article about Mellen's stereoviews. I'll let you know what we find out about the…
Kathy Gibson on Researching George Mellen’s Journey to ColoradoNovember 1, 2025
I'm looking forward to what you learned about Mellen photographing in the San Juan Mountains and Durango, and when.
John on John E. Beebe, Photographer, Dry Plate Manufacturer, and Advertising ExecutiveOctober 14, 2025
He reinvented himself well!

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