Edward Curtis is more famous, but for aficionados of the American West, no photographer can touch L.A. Huffman.
Huffman arrived in Montana in 1879, at the age of 25. That early arrival put him in position to capture the drama of life of the Montana prairies as it was happening, before fast-moving changes made the “Old West” an item of nostalgia. Huffman’s photographs thus make up one of the most authentic depictions of life as it was lived in the West that we have.
“He got there right after the Custer battle … he got there 20 years before Curtis did,” says my friend Larry Len Peterson, a Sisters resident who just released the third edition of his collection of Huffman’s work. “Out in the field, they were authentic images. He didn’t pose people, generally.”
Noted Western historian J. Evetts Haley said that, “For sheer versatility of significant and historic subject matter close to the range of the grass, (Huffman’s collection) surpasses them all.”
The new hardback “L. A. Huffman: Photographer of the American West” is now available.
Peterson has published a number of high-quality coffeetable books focused on artists like Charles M. Russell and sporting artist Philip R. Goodwin. The Huffman book has proven to be extraordinarily popular, selling $500,000 worth of copies in its previous two editions.
“I think it’s probably the most successful book on photography of the West of all time,” Peterson said. “These photographs capture the West better than anything in word or paint.”
In an unusual arrangement, the third-edition hardback will be available only through small, independent booksellers like Paulina Springs until next fall. According to Peterson, that decision was a conscious choice to support local economies in the West.
The photographs featured in the book come largely from the collection of Gene and Bev Allen. This edition features new material, including both parts of stereoscopic images, which were very popular in the late 19th century.
For more information on Huffman’s work, visit www.lahuffman.com. For more information on Peterson’s work, visit www.mountain-press.com.
James Averill says
Cool stuff