William Henry Jackson (April 4, 1843-June 30, 1942) was an American painter, photographer and explorer famous for his images of the American West and most notably the "Mountain of the Holy Cross" Sawatch Range, CO. In 1869 Jackson won a commission from the Union Pacific Railroad to document the scenery along their route for promotional purposes. The following year, he got a last-minute invitation to join the 1871 U.S. government survey of the Yellowstone River and Rocky Mountains led by Ferdinand Hayden. Hayden's surveys were annual expeditions meant to chart the largely-unexplored west, observe flora, fauna , and geological conditions, and identify likely navigational routes, so Jackson was in a position to capture the first photographs of legendary landmarks of the West.
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