On the subject of old pictures and photographers......

[JimBob]

Since Delmonico has been posting those wonderfull old pictures from the Butcher collection I dug out a book on another gentleman named L.A.Huffman who worked in Montana circa 1860-1878 as a photographer.The title of the book is "The Frontier Years".Anybody familiar with his work?On line anywhere?

[Stu Kettle]

Lotta stuff online about him, but they show later dates.  This one says 1879-1931.

http://www.lahuffman.com/

[JimBob]

The book I have just covers the period I listed in his life.Not a lot of pictures,it's more a history of his life in a particular period with diary entries etc.Pictures are of mostly hide men an native Americans.

Cowan's is having an online auction in Feb. that has some of his work listed in the Western Americana section.

Thanks for the link.

[Delmonico]

Thanks for the link, will get to it later.  I didn't know his stuff was now on-line, I've looked for it from time to time over the years.  L.A. Huffman was to the Miles City Montana area what Butcher was to the Nebraska Sandhills.  Sadly few if any of Huffman negatives survive.  Like a lot of photographers of the era he cleaned the plates and reused the glass.

BTW in large metropolitan areas where glass was cheaper, a lot of photographers sold their negatives cheap and they faded away quickly as they became the popular greenhouses that were sprouting up in cities.

Kearney Nebraska had one around 1918:



By the looks of it you could even phone for a delivery.

(Picture 13016 of the Butcher Collection)

Oh and the Fort south of the Platte where the Oregon trail met up with the Platte was Fort Kearny, the town that was built north of the Platte on the UP is Kearney.  I've been told was a mistake by a postal clerk.

[JimBob]

That link listed doesn't have much,they're selling copies of his pictures.I googled L.A.Huffman,about 3 pages of mostly people selling copies of pictures,knick knacks,and doodads with Huffman pictures on them and I quit looking.Nothing like the site the Butcher pictures are on.

[Stu Kettle]

Did you look at this one?

http://milescity.com/gallery/index.asp?gid=1

[JimBob]

Did you look at this one?

http://milescity.com/gallery/index.asp?gid=1

Yea,that's more like it.Big thank you.

[Dead I]

Since Delmonico has been posting those wonderfull old pictures from the Butcher collection I dug out a book on another gentleman named L.A.Huffman who worked in Montana circa 1860-1878 as a photographer.The title of the book is "The Frontier Years".Anybody familiar with his work?On line anywhere?

I have a copy. Copywright date 1955, first edition.  Would you like to see some pictures from it?  I also have an accompanying book entitled: Before Barbed Wire".  .."Frontier"...  has some interesting pics of hunters, many Indians and some shots of the Custer Battlefield.  Many of the images I've seen published elsewhere.  Huffman lived in Miles City.  "Before Barbed Wire" was copywritten in 1956 and had lots of cowboy pictures. Many taken in and around Medora.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

I have BEFORE BARBED WIRE, L.A. Huffman, Photographer on horseback, 1961, mark H. brown & William R. Felton.  124 photographs  from his originals.  The inside of the covers show a map of the upper Missouri with over 40 'brands" marking the locations of the larger ranches incuding those ofTeddy R. & The Marquis deMores.

It is somewhat of a biography and includes some of the photographers correspondance.  On the whole it describes most of the photo's quite well.  The disaster of the winter of 1886 is covered thoroughly.

[JimBob]

I have a copy. Copywright date 1955, first edition.  Would you like to see some pictures from it?  I also have an accompanying book entitled: Before Barbed Wire".  .."Frontier"...  has some interesting pics of hunters, many Indians and some shots of the Custer Battlefield.  Many of the images I've seen published elsewhere.  Huffman lived in Miles City.  "Before Barbed Wire" was copywritten in 1956 and had lots of cowboy pictures. Many taken in and around Medora.

I hve the first one,don't have "Before".Have to see if I can drum up a copy for the library.Thanks

[Dead I]

I have BEFORE BARBED WIRE, L.A. Huffman, Photographer on horseback, 1961, mark H. brown & William R. Felton.  124 photographs  from his originals.  The inside of the covers show a map of the upper Missouri with over 40 'brands" marking the locations of the larger ranches incuding those ofTeddy R. & The Marquis deMores.

It is somewhat of a biography and includes some of the photographers correspondance.  On the whole it describes most of the photo's quite well.  The disaster of the winter of 1886 is covered thoroughly.

I read about half of "Frontier" last night.  Great info on buffalo hunting.  Average cost of a hide in 1881 in and around Medora?  $2.70.  They priced robes and hides differently.  The book has great photos, but interesting narrative too.

[Dead I]

I have BEFORE BARBED WIRE, L.A. Huffman, Photographer on horseback, 1961, mark H. brown & William R. Felton.  124 photographs  from his originals.  The inside of the covers show a map of the upper Missouri with over 40 'brands" marking the locations of the larger ranches incuding those ofTeddy R. & The Marquis deMores.

It is somewhat of a biography and includes some of the photographers correspondance.  On the whole it describes most of the photo's quite well.  The disaster of the winter of 1886 is covered thoroughly.

I think Before Barbed Wire covers the decade after the earlier book.  Some of the pictures were taken in 1901.  Huffman loved to hunt.  What fun it would have been to live in Miles City in those days.  Indeed ranchers lost everything in the winter of 1886.  Roosevelt for one.  That winter was sort of like this one, I guess.