The Road to Yellowstone US 287

US 287 - Canada to Gulf of Mexico

Glacier Park and Yellowstone

Teton Nat'l Park and across Wyoming
Near Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park in Colorado

Across the Panhandle of Oklahoma

Across Texas to the Gulf of Mexico

A great road trip!
Thanks for stopping by John's Island.

Really Old Pics of Yellowstone - Part 2

We continue to share some scans of a few of the photochroms in our collection. Photochrom prints are colorized images produced from black-and-white photographic negatives via the direct photographic transfer of a negative onto lithographic printing plates. The process is a photographic variant of chromolithography, a broader term that refers to color lithography in general. All of the photos below were originally created over 100 years ago.

Castle Geyser
Yellowstone National Park
by The Photochrom Company
1898

Liberty Cap, Mammoth Hot Springs
Yellowstone Park
by Detroit Photographic Company
1902

The Giant Geyser
Yellowstone National Park
by Detroit Photographic Company

Old Faithful
Yellowstone National Park
by Detroit Photographic Company
1902

Inspiration Point
Canyon of the Yellowstone
by Detroit Photographic Company
1902

Morning Glory [Spring]
Yellowstone Park
by Detroit Photographic Company
1902

Above is a postcard, not a photochrome. Morning Glory Spring is one of our favorite YNP features and we couldn't resist including the card for comparison purposes. The postcard view is by Haynes Photo; F. J. Haynes was the early Official Photographer of the Park. The card dates from approximately 1910 - 1914. Note that the color saturation is greater in the photochrome, which was several years earlier.

[Upper Falls of the Yellowstone]

Emerald Spring
Yellowstone National Park
by Detroit Photographic Company
1902

by Detroit Photographic Company
1902

Looking at these photos it is easy to see why Yellowstone is often called "Wonderland." The earliest explorers had a really hard time convincing folks who hadn't seen the area with their own eyes that it actually existed.

To be continued in our next post.  Be sure not to miss Part 1 of these photochrome views here.

Thanks for stopping by John's Island.

Really Old Pics of Yellowstone - Part 1

What you see below are some very old photographs of Yellowstone National Park.

Riverside Geyser
by Detroit Photographic Company
1902

The Lobby, Old Faithful Inn
by Detroit Photographic Company
190? 3 or 5?

Lower Falls of the Yellowstone from Rest Point
by Detroit Photographic Company
1902

Silver Gate and the Hoodoos
Yellowstone National Park
by Detroit Photographic Company
1902

Old Faithful
Yellowstone National Park
by Detroit Photographic Company

Along Gardiner River
Yellowstone Park
by Detroit Photographic Company
1905

Castle Geyser
by Detroit Photographic Company

Fountain Geyser
by Detroit Photographic Company

Lower Falls of the Yellowstone
by Detroit Photographic Company
1902

Jupiter Terrace
Yellowstone National Park
by Detroit Photographic Company
1902

John collects memorabilia related to Yellowstone National Park. If you are thinking they did not have color film just after the start of the last century, you are correct. The photos above are called Photochroms.  Wiki describes them:  "Photochrom prints are colorized images produced from black-and-white photographic negatives via the direct photographic transfer of a negative onto lithographic printing plates. The process is a photographic variant of chromolithography, a broader term that refers to color lithography in general." The Detroit Photographic Company developed the process and printed the photos above.  These are a real treasure to collectors. They are quite rare and difficult to find in good condition. We will be sharing more of our collection in our next post.

Thank you for stopping by John's Island.

A Town Named Bearmouth

From the collection, postmarked Bearmouth, Montana, 1910

Real Photo Postcard

Enlargement

Travel brochure, 1928, Northwest

All the Round Trip Summer Excursion Fares -- 1928

Note From Chicago to Bearmouth, $65.35!
Some 18 years after the postcard was mailed,
wondering how much Bearmouth had changed.

Message side of the card.

Bearmouth location today on Google earth
Pretty much in the middle-of-nowhere.

Rock formation along side I-90 at Bearmouth
Could this be the source of the name?
[photo by John]

Thanks for stopping by John's Island.

Ever been to Weede?

Postmarked June 16, 1916, Grass Range, Montana, 6 AM.

What you are seeing is the Grass Range Public School, two adults standing outside, the ground covered with a dusting of snow, and, apparently, someone's hat on the ground near the bottom-center of the photo. Don't ask me why the hat is there! John is an old school teacher so he appreciates a compact school building like this and probably without a lot of administrative interference. Were these the "good-'ol-days" of education? Was this a one, two, or more classroom school? Were the two standing outside the teachers? We just don't have the answers to these questions.

Let's take a look at the message side of the card.

Turned the card sideways to make it easier for you to read. (I know, I know ... you can just do that on your mobile device ... but just for desktop viewers!)

John is fascinated by what folks wrote on cards like this. There wasn't much space and it's almost like using Twitter. You just can't go on and on. Please let me know if you think I've made an error, but here is what it looks like M.C.H. wrote to Dora:  Grass Range Mont. 6 - 15 - 16. Dear Dora, Just received your most welcome letter in Winnett last night but did not have time to write a letter but will do so very soon. I am freighting coal from here now days for a steam plow outfit near Winnett. Many thanks for letters Dora, I received them both last night and will write you a letter as soon as I get the time. I think Carl Nelson from Weedy passed me today in a ford he had a lady along. Well by by Dora. My best regards to all. [Then on top edge of the card:] Excuse haste and card. Yours, M. C. H.

So, MCH received two nice letters from Dora, just didn't have time to reply, but did have enough time to apologize for not writing a letter by sending this card.  Just getting off the hook?  Some things never change, do they?  Especially interesting to note that MCH saw Carl Nelson pass him in a Ford, and, of all things, had a lady with him. Oh my!

Lastly, we just love where Dora lived:  Weede, Montana. Where do you think they got that name?

Thanks for stopping by John's Island.

Super Bowl Sunday 2014

Update, Monday, February 3, 2014:  Congratulations to Seattle's Seahawks, winners of yesterday's Super Bowl XLVIII. Final:  Seahawks 43, Broncos 8

12th Man Flag flies above Two Union Tower
Seattle, Washington, USA
Home of John's Island

Dusk and crescent moon over Hawkville
last night.

Thanks for stopping by John's Island.

Got 97?

Welcome to February.  (And Happy New Year to my Chinese friends if I didn't get in touch with you yesterday!)

Just in case you don't have a handy calendar available for this month, feel free to use the one below.  Yes, it's from 1997, but as they say, "it's the same, only different."  This particular calendar is the official United States Government version as provided to government offices all over the country.  Unique things about this calendar:  It gives you the day number of the year.  For example, today, February 1, is the 32nd day of the year. Also, down in the lower left corner, it gives you a handy thought for the month:  EEO is for everyone. And, if you are wondering why it says SEPTEMBER in the lower right corner, that is because September is on the other side of the page. Yep, efficiency matters!!!!

Here is a little more info, bordering on TMI, just in case you were not aware:  The calendar repeats itself!  Yes, it's true! We use what is known as the Gregorian Calender.  From Wiki we see that "The Gregorian calendar ... is internationally the most widely used civil calendar." And "Gregorian years are identified by consecutive year numbers. The cycles repeat completely every 146,097 days, which equals 400 years, and which also happens to be 20,871 seven-day weeks."  So, there you go.  We wonder if anyone in government has ever considered asking for the calendars to be recycled? Perhaps the year number at the top would be too confusing?  : - )

Thanks for stopping by John's Island.