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Natural Beauty

This photograph shows a natural vista in what is now Idaho. An interesting view of the past through the medium of photography.

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Lunchtime

This photo shows one of many geological surveys on a break for lunch as they travelled the land.

Riverside

This is what you’d call a proper convoy, with dozens of horses and riders walking along the edge of this river near Yellowstone.

Means of travel

This riverboat, pictured in 1878, is the Rosebud, which travelled up and down the Missouri river, taking people with it. 

Moving people

Here we see a big column of cavalry and weapons under General George’s Custer’s command. .And, yes, he is indeed that Custer.

Changing times

This images shows directors from the Union Pacific Railroad company on the 100th meridian, far west of Omaha, before a ride to celebrate the railway’s opening.

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For contrast

Meanwhile, elsewhere travel was still entirely rudimentary, relying on ramshackle bridges and infrastructure like this one.

An old-school coach

This stagecoach is an example of the sort used by express delivery companies in this time period - complete with the armed guards riding atop the carriage. 

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Challenging terrain

Some places still need proper rugged explorers to chart them - such as this expedition up the now-famous Pike’s Peak.

Some assembly required

When you see a stagecoach, through modern eyes, it’s easy to forget that they didn’t just pop out of some factory ready-made for most people.

Traversal

LIfe in the American West wasn’t easy.

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Laying tracks

Laying railroad tracks in the sweltering heat of Arizona must have been punishing work.

A new world

Photographic proof that the automobile had arrived in America, as shown by this image from 1912.

People change

This image shows a test drive of the new route between Denver and Salt Lake, to see how stable and drivable it was.

Charting a course

Another image that shows just how difficult it could be moving around the country.

Journalism in the West

This shows just how rugged the conditions for many were when settlements were being established, but also how people got on with their lives nonetheless.

A real character

We love this photo for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the cheeky grin on Fred Loring’s face sadly killed by Apaches two days later.

Distant threat

This image shows a correspondent from the San Francisco Bulletin taking notes on the battlefield.

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A nice place to stop

This member of an expedition takes a break to sketch by a dried-out canyon bed, before a stunning cliffside.

Wooded seclusion

This image actually shows a photographer in action - John K Hillers is inspecting one of his negatives while camping on a geological surveying trip. 

Parched

This desert scene might look extremely remote, although it’s actually in the Carson Desert, Nevada.

The old lingers on

Here, a car waits to let a carriage pass on the road, illustrating how much has changed. 

Our final image for this collection contrasts the time period that we end in, having started in the era of horses and carriages - here, a car waits to let a carriage pass on the road, illustrating how much has changed. 

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