Description

Charles Belden Photograph of a Herd of Sheep Gathered on a Snowbank 

Silver gelatin photograph with backstamp Photo Copyright by Charles J. Belden Z/T Ranch Pitchfork, Wyoming. Verso features typed title and caption: A Cool Place on a Hot Day in the Rockies. / Instead of ocean beaches or a convenient lake-front the denizens of the high reaches of the Rockies seek a cool snowbank for relief from the heat., plus a stamp that reads Return to Plain Dealer Rotogravure Dep't, with the penciled date of Sept. 7. Verso includes additional notes indicating that this was a press release photograph from the Plain Dealer. 8 x 10 in.

Charles J. Belden (1888-1963) was born in San Francisco into a wealthy California family. He developed a life-long passion for photography when he purchased his first camera to record his travels throughout Germany and Russia after graduating from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1909. Upon his return to the U.S., Belden worked as a cowboy on the L.G. Phelps Ranch in Wyoming. He then went to work on and eventually managed the legendary Pitchfork Ranch near Meeteetse, Wyoming. During his time at the Pitchfork Ranch between the 1920s and 1930s, Belden produced a variety of images that captured life on the dude ranch, including livestock activities, as well as the surrounding western landscape. Many of his western photographs were taken on horseback aboard his reliable pony Pinky. He thought this gave him the desired perspective he was hoping to achieve. Belden's photographs were featured in various publications, including National Geographic and the Saturday Evening Post. Refer to the University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center's Digital Collection of Charles J. Belden Photography for comparable examples of his work. 

Condition

Small spot along top middle edge of print. Tones remain rich.