Thomas Moran, First Artist of Yellowstone

In 1871, the young artist Thomas Moran joined a scientific expedition to a mysterious, uncharted region of the American west. Trappers, prospectors, and traders called it The Yellowstone, after the river that began among its high mountains. They told stories of hot springs, geysers, mud volcanoes, deep canyons, a huge alpine lake, and more. Some were clearly tall tales; petrified trees with petrified birds singing petrified songs fooled no one. Other stories, like the mountain made of glass, or the canyon with phenomenal echoes, stretched the imagination, but might have a grain of truth to them. The year was 1871. It was time for disciplined men of science to investigate.


Moran's job was to portray the wonders of Yellowstone through paintings. He did so well that his work proved an important factor in convincing Congress to establish the world's first national park. The expedition also made him famous. His grand, romantic paintings were much in demand.


This book contains many of his best Yellowstone works, from 1871 through later years. Also included are field sketches, rough pencil drawings, a number of photographs of the expedition made by William Henry Jackson, the official expedition photographer, and a slide show of Thomas Moran's original diary of that historic summer.