Photograph - Throwing The Herd On Water, Big Dry Creek, Montana, 1900

HUFFMAN, L[AYTON]. A[LTON]

Publication: Photographed at Big Dry Creek, Montana, 1900, Big Dry Creek, Montana

Sepia-toned collotype, 5" x 13", on dark brown mount. Title at lower left; signed, "L.A. Huffman" at lower right. A captivating image depicting a large drove of cattle watering at Big Dry Creek, Montana, attended by cowboys. Iowa-born photographer Layton Alton Huffman (1854 -1931) spent much of his life documenting frontier and Native American life in the Montana area. Huffman arrived on the scene in 1879, a few years after the Battle of the Little Bighorn, to take the recently vacated position of post photographer at the Fort Keogh in Miles City. Fort Keogh was established shortly after Little Bighorn in 1876 to provide a military presence in eastern Montana Territory. The unpaid position of fort photographer provided Huffman with a dirt floor log studio as well as the opportunity to make and sell photographs. "The arrival of large numbers of farmers with their plows and fences would permanently alter the landscape of eastern Montana. During all of this, Huffman was there taking photographs ... landscapes, animals, early ranches, street scenes and, especially, people doing their work. His photos of buffalo hunting taken between 1880-83 are some of the few that exist and are among the most historically significant images he produced. By far his most extensive and complete body of work relates to the cattle industry and its associated activities. In addition to his skill and artistry as a photographer, he was able to incorporate his previous experiences as a rancher. He participated in roundups, helped with the activities and knew many of the area's ranchers and cowboys. In 1976 Huffman was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma." ... L. A. Huffman online. Fine.

Inventory Number: 49614Sold -- Contact us