In 1853 Richard Hovendon Kern was hired as topographer and artist for a government-sponsored reconnaissance led by Captain John Williams Gunnison. Kern sketched landscape panoramas as the group made its way from St. Louis toward San Francisco. When the expedition reached Sevier Lake, Utah, however, it was attacked by a band of Indians. Seven men, including Kern and Gunnison, were killed, and Kern's drawings were stolen. The sketches were soon recovered and eventually carried to Washington, D.C.
Robert Shlaer, an accomplished daguerreotypist, came across Kern's sketches many years later at the Newberry Library in Chicago. He was inspired to locate the views depicted in the drawings and to photograph them, as nearly as was possible, from the same spot where Kern had stood when he sketched them. This collection juxtaposes Kern's drawings with Shlaer's photographs, presenting 389 illustrations in geographic sequence from east to west
Filters: Collection: "uu_rkfws" Year End: 2015
| Title | Alternative Title | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 | Plate 1 | Richard Hovendon Kern |
| 2 |
 | Plate 2 | The Far West: explorations of the country from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean |
| 3 |
 | Plate 3 | Letter from Beckwith to Schumann |
| 4 |
 | Plate 4 | Camp No. 1 near Westport, June 20-53 |
| 5 |
 | Plate 5 | Camp no. 1 |
| 6 |
 | Plate 6 | From 82.0 on Mission and Kansas River, sketch |
| 7 |
 | Plate 7 | Photograph of Mission Creek near its confluence with the Kansas River. |
| 8 |
 | Plate 8 | Mission Creek and Kansas River: composite sketch and photograph |
| 9 |
 | Plate 9 | Kansas River |
| 10 |
 | Plate 10 | Uniontown, Kaw River |
| 11 |
 | Plate 11 | Fort Centre or Riley, junction of Smoky Hill and Republican Fork |
| 12 |
 | Plate 12 | Junction of the Smoky Hill and Republican river |
| 13 |
 | Plate 13 | Junction of Smoky Hill and Republican Fork, composite of drawing and photograph |
| 14 |
 | Plate 14 | Crossing Saline Creek, July 7th 1853, sketch |
| 15 |
 | Plate 15 | Crossing Saline July 7th, 1853, sketch |
| 16 |
 | Plate 16 | Elk Island, Arkansas, July 20th |
| 17 |
 | Plate 17 | Arkansas Plains, sketch |
| 18 |
 | Plate 18 | Bent's Fort, sketch |
| 19 |
 | Plate 19 | Bent's Fort (reconstruction), photograph |
| 20 |
 | Plate 20 | Bent's Fort, composite sketch and photograph |
| 21 |
 | Plate 21 | Plains (three sketches) |
| 22 |
 | Plate 22 | Plains and distant mountains, panorama of three sketches |
| 23 |
 | Plate 23 | Fields and distant mountains, panoramic photograph |
| 24 |
 | Plate 24 | Plains and distant mountains panorama, composite photograph and three sketches |
| 25 |
 | Plate 25 | Bluff on Arkansas, Aug 1st, sketch |
| 26 |
 | Plate 26 | Panoramic photograph, Colorado plains with utility poles |
| 27 |
 | Plate 27 | Drawing and photograph juxtaposed |
| 28 |
 | Plate 28 | Mouth of Apishpa R. ferry, Arkansas, Aug 1st 1853. Top sketch of two on paper, 13.3 x 19.1 cm. View Plates 28-30: www.Kernsketches.com/plate/28 |
| 29 |
 | Plate 29 | Mouth of Apishpa River at the Arkansas River, photograph |
| 30 |
 | Plate 30 | Mouth of Apishpa River at the Arkansas River, composite sketch and photograph |
| 31 |
 | Plate 31 | August 6th, four sketches |
| 32 |
 | Plate 32 | Panorama of four sketches, August 6th |
| 33 |
 | Plate 33 | Panorama from Mount Mestas to Pikes Peak, photograph |
| 34 |
 | Plate 34 | Composite, panorama from Mount Mestas to Pikes Peak |
| 35 |
 | Plate 35 | Pikes Peak, sketch |
| 36 |
 | Plate 36 | Pikes Peak from distance, photograph |
| 37 |
 | Plate 37 | Pikes Peak from distance, composite sketch and photograph |
| 38 |
 | Plate 38 | Spanish Peaks from near the Cuchara R., Aug 6th, 1853, sketch |
| 39 |
 | Plate 39 | Spanish Peaks, photograph |
| 40 |
 | Plate 40 | Spanish Peaks, composite sketch and photograph |
| 41 |
 | Plate 41 | Wah-ha-ta-gas or Spanish Peaks, Stanley lithograph from Kern sketch |
| 42 |
 | Plate 42 | Wah-ha-ta-gas or Spanish Peaks, composite sketch and lithograph |
| 43 |
 | Plate 43 | Wah-ha-ta-gas or Spanish Peaks, superimposed sketch and lithograph |
| 44 |
 | Plate 44 | First chain of Rocky Mts, eastern base, sketch |
| 45 |
 | Plate 45 | First chain of Rocky Mts, eastern base, photograph |
| 46 |
 | Plate 46 | First chain of Rocky Mts, eastern base, composite sketch and photograph |
| 47 |
 | Plate 47 | 2d Huerfano Butte, Upper Huerfano R., sketch |
| 48 |
 | Plate 48 | 2d Huerfano Butte, Upper Huerfano R., sketch |
| 49 |
 | Plate 49 | 2d Huerfano Butte, Upper Huerfano R., juxtaposed sketches |
| 50 |
 | Plate 50 | Second Huerfano Butte, photograph |
| 51 |
 | Plate 51 | Second Huerfano Butte, composite sketch and photograph |
| 52 |
 | Plate 52 | Huerfano Butte, Gwinn Harris Heap lithograph |
| 53 |
 | Plate 53 | Huerfano Butte, lithograph by Solomon Carvalho |
| 54 |
 | Plate 54 | Sierra Mohada from 2-30 Camp 40, sketch |
| 55 |
 | Plate 55 | Sierra Mohada, photograph |
| 56 |
 | Plate 56 | Sierra Mohada, composite sketch and photograph |
| 57 |
 | Plate 57 | Wet Mountains, sketch |
| 58 |
 | Plate 58 | Wet Mountains, photograph |
| 59 |
 | Plate 59 | Wet Mountains, composite sketch and photograph |
| 60 |
 | Plate 60 | Main chain, Sierra Blanca, eastern slopes, Aug. 10th, sketch |
| 61 |
 | Plate 61 | Main chain, Sierra Blanca, eastern slopes, photograph |
| 62 |
 | Plate 62 | Main chain, Sierra Blanca, eastern slopes, composite sketch and photograph |
| 63 |
 | Plate 63 | View eastward from El Sangre de Cristo Pass, Huerfano_R., sketch |
| 64 |
 | Plate 64 | View eastward from El Sangre de Cristo Pass, Huerfano_River, photograph |
| 65 |
 | Plate 65 | View eastward from El Sangre de Cristo Pass, Huerfano_River, composite sketch and photograph |
| 66 |
 | Plate 66 | Huerfano River near Camp 40, sketch |
| 67 |
 | Plate 67 | Huerfano River, photograph |
| 68 |
 | Plate 68 | Huerfano River, composite sketch and photograph |
| 69 |
 | Plate 69 | Wet Mountains, Huerfano R, sketch |
| 70 |
 | Plate 70 | Wet Mountains, Huerfano River photograph |
| 71 |
 | Plate 71 | Wet Mountains, Huerfano River composite sketch and photograph |
| 72 |
 | Plate 72 | Les Trois Tetons in the distance, Sierra Blanca, sketch |
| 73 |
 | Plate 73 | Photograph of Les Trois Tetons from higher up |
| 74 |
 | Plate 74 | View of Sangre de Cristo Pass, Stanley lithograph from Kern sketch |
| 75 |
 | Plate 75 | View of Sangre de Cristo Pass, composite lithograph and sketch |
| 76 |
 | Plate 76 | Sangre de Cristo Pass area, panoramic photograph |
| 77 |
 | Plate 77 | Sangre de Cristo Pass area, panoramic photograph and sketches |
| 78 |
 | Plate 78 | In Sangre de Cristo Pass, Aug. 11th, sketch |
| 79 |
 | Plate 79 | Sangre de Cristo Pass area, panoramic photograph |
| 80 |
 | Plate 80 | Sangre de Cristo Pass area, panorama of sketches |
| 81 |
 | Plate 81 | Sangre de Cristo Pass area, composite of photograph and sketches |
| 82 |
 | Plate 82 | Sangre de Cristo Pass, panorama of sketches |
| 83 |
 | Plate 83 | Sangre de Cristo Pass, panoramic photograph |
| 84 |
 | Plate 84 | Sangre de Cristo Pass, composite of panoramic photograph and sketches |
| 85 |
 | Plate 85 | Sangre de Cristo Pass, looking toward San Luis Valley, Stanley lithograph from Kern sketch |
| 86 |
 | Plate 86 | Sangre de Cristo Pass, looking from the summit down Gunnison's Creek: Stanley lithograph from Kern sketch |
| 87 |
 | Plate 87 | Sangre de Cristo Pass, composite of panorama of sketches and two lithographs |
| 88 |
 | Plate 88 | Sangre de Cristo Pass [untitled sketch] |
| 89 |
 | Plate 89 | Sangre de Cristo Pass, photograph |
| 90 |
 | Plate 90 | Sangre de Cristo Pass, composite of photograph and sketch |
| 91 |
 | Plate 91 | St. Louis Valley, Williams Ranch, Sangre de Cristo Pass area, sketch |
| 92 |
 | Plate 92 | San Luis Valley, Williams Ranch, Sangre de Cristo Pass area, photograph |
| 93 |
 | Plate 93 | San Luis Valley, Williams Ranch, Sangre de Cristo Pass area, composite of photograph and sketch |
| 94 |
 | Plate 94 | Main peaks of Sierra Blanca, sketch |
| 95 |
 | Plate 95 | Main peaks of Sierra Blanca, photograph |
| 96 |
 | Plate 96 | Main peaks of Sierra Blanca, composite of photograph and sketch |
| 97 |
 | Plate 97 | Fort Massachusetts, at the foot of the Sierra Blanca; Valley of San Luis, Stanley lithograph from Kern sketch |
| 98 |
 | Plate 98 | Fort Massachusetts and Main peaks of Sierra Blanca, composite of lithograph and sketch |
| 99 |
 | Plate 99 | Panorama of sketches from near old Fort Valdez, August 20th |
| 100 |
 | Plate 100 | Panoramic photograph, Sangre de Cristo Range from near site of Fort Valdez |
| 101 |
 | Plate 101 | Panorama composite, sketches and photograph, Sangre de Cristo Range from near site of Fort Valdez |
| 102 |
 | Plate 102 | Sierra Blanca sketch |
| 103 |
 | Plate 103 | Sierra Blanca photograph |
| 104 |
 | Plate 104 | Sierra Blanca, composite drawing and photograph |
| 105 |
 | Plate 105 | San Juan Mountains panoramic sketch |
| 106 |
 | Plate 106 | San Juan Mountains panoramic photographs |
| 107 |
 | Plate 107 | San Juan Mountains, composite drawing and photograph |
| 108 |
 | Plate 108 | Peaks of the Sierra Blanca, sketch |
| 109 |
 | Plate 109 | Peaks of the Sierra Blanca, Stanley lithograph from Kern sketch |
| 110 |
 | Plate 110 | Peaks of the Sierra Blanca, composite of Kern sketch and Stanley lithograph |
| 111 |
 | Plate 111 | Juxtaposition of two Kern sketches of the peaks of the Sierra Blanca |
| 112 |
 | Plate 112 | Sierra Blanca, sketch |
| 113 |
 | Plate 113 | Sierra Blanca, photograph |
| 114 |
 | Plate 114 | Sierra Blanca and sand dunes, composite drawing and photograph |
| 115 |
 | Plate 115 | Views of Sierra_Blanca, August 27th |
| 116 |
 | Plate 116 | Sierra Blanca drawings as a continuous panorama |
| 117 |
 | Plate 117 | Panoramic photograph, Sierra Blanca |
| 118 |
 | Plate 118 | Composite drawing and photograph, panorama of Sierra Blanca |
| 119 |
 | Plate 119 | Gunnison's Pass, sketch |
| 120 |
 | Plate 120 | Photograph of Poncha Pass |
| 121 |
 | Plate 121 | Composite of sketch of Poncha Pass and the mountains north of the San Luis Valley |
| 122 |
 | Plate 122 | Rocky Mountains, sketch |
| 123 |
 | Plate 123 | Rocky Mountains drawings as a continuous Panorama |
| 124 |
 | Plate 124 | Rocky Mountains, panoramic photograph |
| 125 |
 | Plate 125 | Composite panoramic drawing and photograph, Rocky Mountains |
| 126 |
 | Plate 126 | Entrance to Coochutoke Pass, sketch |
| 127 |
 | Plate 127 | Entrance to Coochutoke Pass, photograph |
| 128 |
 | Plate 128 | Entrance to Coochutoke Pass, composite drawing and photograph |
| 129 |
 | Plate 129 | Entrance to Del Norte, sketch |
| 130 |
 | Plate 130 | Entrance to Del Norte, photograph |
| 131 |
 | Plate 131 | Entrance to Del Norte, photograph, composite drawing and photograph |
| 132 |
 | Plate 132 | August 30th Sahwatch Mts (sketch in three parts) |
| 133 |
 | Plate 133 | Drawing as a continuous panorama, Sahwatch Mts, August 30th |
| 134 |
 | Plate 134 | Sahwatch Mountains, panoramic photograph |
| 135 |
 | Plate 135 | Sahwatch Mountains, composite drawing and photograph |
| 136 |
 | Plate 136 | Sah-watch Creek in Coo-che-to-pa Pass, Aug. 31st, 1853 |
| 137 |
 | Plate 137 | Coo-che-to-pa Pass, three drawings |
| 138 |
 | Plate 138 | Coo-che-to-pa Pass, two drawings |
| 139 |
 | Plate 139 | Coo-che-to-pa Pass, photograph |
| 140 |
 | Plate 140 | Coo-che-to-pa Pass, composite of two drawings and photograph |
| 141 |
 | Plate 141 | Near summit of Coo-che-to-pa Pass, Aug. 31st, sketch |
| 142 |
 | Plate 142 | Near summit of Coo-che-to-pa Pass, Aug. 31st; West of Coo-che-to-pa Pass, Sept. 1st |
| 143 |
 | Plate 143 | Stock yard near summit of Coo-che-to-pa Pass, photograph |
| 144 |
 | Plate 144 | Near summit of Coo-che-to-pa Pass, composite drawings and photograph |
| 145 |
 | Plate 145 | Coo-che-to-pa Pass, leaving Sawatch Creek, sketch |
| 146 |
 | Plate 146 | Coo-che-to-pa Pass, leaving Sawatch Creek, photograph |
| 147 |
 | Plate 147 | Coo-che-to-pa Pass, leaving Sawatch Creek, composite drawing and photograph |
| 148 |
 | Plate 148 | Coo-che-to-pa Pass, color lithograph |
| 149 |
 | Plate 149 | Coo-che-to-pa Pass, leaving Sawatch Creek, composite sketch and lithograph |
| 150 |
 | Plate 150 | In Coo-che-to-pa Pass, sketch |
| 151 |
 | Plate 151 | Photograph of the approach to Cochetopa Pass up the canyon of East Pass Creek on 1 September 1853. |
| 152 |
 | Plate 152 | Coo-che-to-pa Pass, leaving Sawatch Creek, composite drawing and photograph |
| 153 |
 | Plate 153 | Lithograph based on the sketch of Cochetopa Pass up East Pass Creek |
| 154 |
 | Plate 154 | Head of the first canon of the Grand River, composite sketch and lithograph |
| 155 |
 | Plate 155 | Sketch of Cochetopa Pass |
| 156 |
 | Plate 156 | Cochetopa Pass, lithograph by Gwinn Harris Heap |
| 157 |
 | Plate 157 | Sangre de Cristo Pass, steel engraving. |
| 158 |
 | Plate 158 | Daguerreotype of cliff in Cochetopa Pass. |
| 159 |
 | Plate 159 | In Cochetopa Pass, photograph |
| 160 |
 | Plate 160 | In Cochetopa Pass, composite drawing and photograph |
| 161 |
 | Plate 161 | View to the east from Cochetopa Pass, Sept. 2, sketch. |
| 162 |
 | Plate 162 | View to the east from Cochetopa Pass, Sept. 2, photograph. |
| 163 |
 | Plate 163 | View east from Cochetopa Pass, composite sketch and photograph |
| 164 |
 | Plate 164 | West end of Coo-che-to-pa Pass on Pass Creek, Sept. 3rd (sketch) |
| 165 |
 | Plate 165 | West end of Coo-che-to-pa Pass on Pass Creek, photograph |
| 166 |
 | Plate 166 | West end of Cochetopa Pass, composite sketch and photograph |
| 167 |
 | Plate 167 | Pass Creek, sketch |
| 168 |
 | Plate 168 | Pass Creek, photograph |
| 169 |
 | Plate 169 | Pass Creek, composite sketch and photograph |
| 170 |
 | Plate 170 | West of summit in Cochetopa Pass, sketch |
| 171 |
 | Plate 171 | West of summit in Cochetopa Pass, photograph |
| 172 |
 | Plate 172 | West of summit in Cochetopa Pass, composite sketch and photograph |
| 173 |
 | Plate 173 | Two sketches of cliff areas |
| 174 |
 | Plate 174 | Divide between the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, sketch |
| 175 |
 | Plate 175 | Divide between the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, photographs |
| 176 |
 | Plate 176 | Divide between the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, composite sketch and photograph |
| 177 |
 | Plate 177 | Looking down Razor Creek Valley to Cochetopa (today Tomichi) Creek. |
| 178 |
 | Plate 178 | Two drawings: Valley of Cochetopa (today, Tomichi) Creek, Sept. 3; Saw-watch Mtns, Sept. 5th |
| 179 |
 | Plate 179 | The Valley of Cochetopa (today Tomichi) Creek, photograph |
| 180 |
 | Plate 180 | Cochetopa Creek, composite drawing and photograph |
| 181 |
 | Plate 181 | Divide between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, sketch |
| 182 |
 | Plate 182 | Divide between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, sketch |
| 183 |
 | Plate 183 | Divide between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, photograph |
| 184 |
 | Plate 184 | Divide between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, composite sketch and photograph |
| 185 |
 | Plate 185 | Camp Rock (Eagle Tail); Main chain, Sierra Blanca, eastern slope (two sketches) |
| 186 |
 | Plate 186 | Camp Rock (Eagle Tail), photograph |
| 187 |
 | Plate 187 | Camp Rock (Eagle Tail) near camp, Sept. 3rd, sketch |
| 188 |
 | Plate 188 | Camp Rock (Eagle Tail), composite sketch and photograph |
| 189 |
 | Plate 189 | Sah-watch Mts, sketch |
| 190 |
 | Plate 190 | Tomichi Creek Valley looking east toward the mountains of the Continental Divide |
| 191 |
 | Plate 191 | Above Tomichi Creek Valley looking toward the Saguache Mountains and the Continental Divide |
| 192 |
 | Plate 192 | Above Tomichi Valley looking eastward to the Saguache Mountains on the Continental Divide. Composite sketch and photograph. |
| 193 |
 | Plate 193 | Sah-watch Mts, Sept. 5, sketch |
| 194 |
 | Plate 194 | Sah-watch Mountains, photograph |
| 195 |
 | Plate 195 | Sah-watch Mountains, composite sketch and photograph |
| 196 |
 | Plate 196 | Rock outcrop, photograph |
| 197 |
 | Plate 197 | Rock outcrop, composite sketch and photograph |
| 198 |
 | Plate 198 | West end of Cochetopa Pass, sketch |
| 199 |
 | Plate 199 | Sah-watch Mts, west end of Cochetopa Pass (composite of two drawings) |
| 200 |
 | Plate 200 | Valley of Cochetopa Creek, two photographs |