The King Survey Photographs
by Timothy H. O'Sullivan
Last month, I picked up a Timothy H. O’Sullivan book on ebay that I figured would help fuel this period of searching I am currently in.
Lately, it seems like I’ve been doing a whole lot of brainstorming for a future project but I haven’t found the right starting point when I’m in the field with my camera..Nothing seems to be clicking. And as a result, I have an endlessly growing list of places to check off in my photo journal that I haven’t really made a dent in yet.
The bones of the project have been hugely inspired by William Brewer’s Up and Down California in 1860-1864 which is easily my favorite book I’ve read; for you history nerds, check it out! Brewer worked on the first California Geological Survey.
“In that year [1860] the State Legislature of California authorized a geological survey of the State calling for, among other things, a full and scientific description of its botanical productions. Professor J. D. Whitney was the geologist in charge and he offered to Brewer the position of first assistant on this survey.”1
And now with this photo book/catalogue by Timothy H. O’Sullivan added to my collection, I feel like I have the missing ingredient to help get this project rolling and the creative juices flowing with more ease. The photographs in the book are from his service in the United States Geological Exploration of the Fortieth Parallel, or King Survey.
“…Between 1867 and 1872, Clarence King and his party studied a cast swath of terrain, approximately one hundred by eight hundred miles in size, from the border of California eastward to the edge of the Great Plains.”
“In addition to its significance as the first of the “great surveys” of the postwar era, the King Survey was also the first to include a full-time photographer.”2
I am looking forward to exploring some of these locations in my lifetime..and to hopefully get this new project of mine underway very shortly.
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I explored some parts of Eastern California last weekend and attempted to retrace one of O’Sullivan’s Donner Lake photographs 157 years later..
I didn’t quite find the spot he was positioned at but I shall attempt it once again..Regardless, it was fun to try and retrace his steps!
The great Timothy O'Sullivan! Lovely book, a image maker who inspired many later on, including our guy Mark Ruwedel! Happy to hear you are piecing together the ingredients for a booster shake to get your flow going for this new project!
So great. I just read Robert Adams was inspired by that book too and I added it to my list of books I would like to read some day. I would love to see how your project will continue!