Archive style : photographs & illustrations for U.S. surveys, 1850-1890

289 Pages·2007·9.16 MB·English

by  Kelsey

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A H M A N S O N • M U R P H Y
F I N E A R T S I M P R I N T
THE AHMANSON FOUNDATION
has endowed this imprint
to honor the memory of
FRANKLIN D. MURPHY
who for half a century
served arts and letters,
beauty and learning, in
equalmeasurebyshaping
with a brilliant devotion
those institutions upon
which they rely.
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PUBLICATION OF THIS BOOK HAS BEEN AIDED BY A GRANT FROM THE MILLARD
MM
MEISS PUBLICATION FUND OF THE COLLEGE ART ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA.
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ARCHIVE STYLE
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PUBLISHED WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE GETTY FOUNDATION.
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A R C H I V E S T Y L E
PHOTOGRAPHS & ILLUSTRATIONS
FOR U.S. SURVEYS, 1850–1890
ROBIN KELSEY
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS BERKELEY LOS ANGELES LONDON
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University of California Press, one of the most distinguished university presses in the United States, enriches
lives around the world by advancing scholarship in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Its
activities are supported by the UC Press Foundation and by philanthropic contributions from individuals and
institutions. For more information, visit www.ucpress.edu.
University of California Press
Berkeley and Los Angeles, California
University of California Press, Ltd.
London, England
© 2007 by The Regents of the University of California
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kelsey, Robin Earle.
Archive style : photographs and illustrations for U.S. surveys, 1850–1890 /
Robin Kelsey.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
isbn: 978-0-520-24935-6 (cloth : alk. paper)
1. Photographic surveying—History—19th century. 2. Geological
surveys—United States—History—19th century. I. Title.
ta592.6.u6k45 2007
526.90973—dc22 2006037609
Manufactured in the United States of America
15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of
ansi/niso z39.48-1992 (r1997) (Permanence of Paper).
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CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS VII
ILLUSTRATIONS IX
INTRODUCTION RIDDLES AND PREMISES 1
ONE ARTHUR SCHOTT:MARKING THE MEXICAN BOUNDARY 21
TWO TIMOTHY H. O’SULLIVAN:SURVEYS OF THE AMERICAN WEST 75
THREE C.C. JONES:THE USGS INVESTIGATION OF THE CHARLESTON EARTHQUAKE 143
CONCLUSION ARCHIVE STYLE 191
NOTES 195
WORKS CITED 245
INDEX 263
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A
lthough the name of one author may grace the cover, overlapping communities
produce a book. This book emerged out of a dissertation written under the guid-
ance of Henri Zerner, and his magnanimous and wise care deserves much credit
for whatever merit it possesses. Another member of my dissertation committee,
Eric Rosenberg, has been a splendid interlocutor for the past decade, and to him
special thanks are also due. Of my brilliant Harvard colleagues, Yve-Alain Bois, Peter Gal-
ison, Joseph Koerner, Jennifer Roberts, and Henri Zerner deserve singling out for their
essential suggestions. Professor Roberts read reams of drafts and generously proffered in-
sights that enriched the book throughout. Every scholar should have such a colleague but
probably few do. Among the many students at Harvard who contributed to the book,
Makeda Best, Mattias Frey, and Jason Puskar come immediately to mind. Mr. Frey pro-
vided important research assistance and help with translations from German. Despite all
of this support, my progress on the book would have been slow indeed if not for the benev-
olence of Professor Bois and Tom Cummins, who, as department chairs, vigorously pro-
tected my time.
Colleagues far from the Charles River equally deserve thanks. From the early stages of
my thinking on survey pictures, Alan Wallach has offered invaluable encouragement and
criticism. More recently, conversations with François Brunet have become vital. His
trenchant and painstaking comments on a complete draft improved the book in ways both
large and small. Anne McCauley, Doug Nickel, Miles Orvell, Marni Sandweiss, Allan
Sekula, Joel Snyder, Sally Stein, John Tagg, Alan Trachtenberg, and Nancy Troy have all
prodded me in one productive direction or another, and I can only hope that they will con-
VII