A series where we take a #lookback at the stories and history of our community, brought to you by Mick Pryor, Financial Advisor with Edward Jones.
Harold Sanborn was a professional commercial photographer headquartered in Denver, but he also photographed in Wyoming and Nebraska. His publishing company, Sanborn Souvenir Company was active between 1925 and 1957. His photographs date from the 1920s to the middle 1950s. He specialized in black and white picture postcards. Sanborn spent a great deal of time photographing in the Wind River country and creating an historical archive of photos from that time, a priceless treasure trove of information for historians. During the first half of the 20th Century sending and collecting postcards was a popular hobby with some early postcards only costing 2 cents to mail. Today, in the age of digital photography and email, postcards are rapidly becoming a thing of the past.
Sanborn maintained meticulous records of his photos. Every photo was assigned a catalogue number. All H series photos were of Nebraska, and all Y series photos were of Wyoming starting with Y-700 and going to Y-3136. There should be 2400 photos of Wyoming in a complete set, but many postcards are missing and their negatives are lost or misplaced. Sanborn signed his postcards on the bottom right hand corner. His son, Bill worked with his father in the publishing company before the publishing house closed. Some of the later postcards were colorized.
Here is one of Sanborn’s pictures of Lander circa 1940.
Author: Liz Farmer, Pioneer Museum Lander
Next up for the Fremont County Museum
May 30, 10am, at the Dubois Museum, “Wild Plants of Mason Draw, Wind River Visitor’s Council Adventure Trek Series
May 31, 11am at the Riverton Museum, “Horned Owl Draper Raptor Experience” Bailey Tire/Pit Stop Children’s Exploration Series
June 4, 6pm at the Riverton Museum, “The Murder of Andrew Jackson Cooper” By Mark Stratmoen, Wyoming Community Bank Discovery Speakers Series
June 7, 8:30am with the Riverton Museum, “South Pass City Adventure Trek” Wind River Visitor’s Council Adventure Trek Series
June 11, 10am with the Dubois Museum, “Historic T-Cross Ranch Tour” Wind River Visitor’s Council Adventure Trek Series
June 12, 6:30pm at the Pioneer Museum, “Life in the Coal Camps” Wyoming Community Bank Discovery Speakers Series
June 14, 11am at the Riverton Museum, “National Bighorn Sheep Center at the Riverton Museum” Bailey tire/Pit Stop Children’s Exploration Series
June 14, 10am with the Pioneer Museum, “Atlantic City Cemetery Trek” Wind River Visitor’s Council Adventure Trek Series
June 14, 10am at the Dubois Museum, “Kids Corner: Natures Hide and Seek” Bailey tire/Pit Stop Children’s Exploration Series
Oct 4, TBA at the Lander Community Center, “Rare Relics Roadshow” Wind River Cultural Centers Foundation
Call the Dubois Museum 1-307-455-2284, the Pioneer Museum 1-307-332-3339 or the Riverton Museum 1-307-856-2665 for detail regarding their programs.
The Dubois Museum, the Pioneer Museum in Lander and the Riverton Museum need your financial support. In the current economic environment, the museums are more reliant than ever on donations from the private sector to continue to provide the quality programs, collections management, exhibits and services that have become their hallmark over the last four years. Please make your tax deductible contribution through the Wind River Cultural Centers Foundation www.windriverccf.com or by sending a check to Fremont County Museums 450 N 2nd Rm 320 or taking it directly to the museum you choose to support. onations from the private sector to continue to provide the quality programs, collections management, exhibits and services that have become their hallmark over the last four years. Please make your tax deductible contribution through the Wind River Cultural Centers Foundation www.windriverccf.com or by sending a check to Fremont County Museums 450 N 2nd Rm 320 or taking it directly to the museum you choose to support.