Mountain transportation. Pack mule, Pack and Packers, No. 7 from the series "Geographical Explorations and Surveys West of the 100th Meridian"
Medium
Albumen print, stereo
Dimensions
Each image: 9.2 × 7.5 cm (3 5/8 × 3 in.); Card: 10 × 17.7 cm (3 15/16 × 7 in.)
Classification
stereograph (albumen)
Department
Photography and Media
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
210769
Art Historical Context
Timothy O’Sullivan’s 1871 stereograph “Mountain transportation. Pack mule, Pack and Packers” captures a moment of practical ingenuity during the Wheeler Survey, one of several government expeditions charting the American West beyond the 100th meridian. Working as the survey’s official photographer, O’Sullivan documented the rugged logistics required to move men and equipment through steep, uncharted terrain. The image shows packers adjusting loads on sturdy mules, underscoring both the human effort and the animal power that made scientific exploration possible. Produced as an albumen-print st...
About the Artist
Timothy O'Sullivan · 1840–1882
Timothy H. O'Sullivan (c. 1840–1882) emerged as one of America's pioneering photographers during a transformative era. His early life remains sparsely documented, with records suggesting he was born either in New York City or Ireland before immigrating young, possibly growing up on Staten Island. As a teenager, he apprenticed under Mathew Brady at his Fulton Street gallery in New York, mastering w...