Back on Track

New reviews coming soon! I'll be importing my work from the past two years, but in the meantime,
I'm reclaiming my small place on the web.

Tuesday, September 28, 2004

Biography Review

Photographer of the Early West: The Story of Arundel Hull
by Eugene A. Miller
ISBN-10: 0972851100
Review by Heather Froeschl

Early photographs have always intrigued me. Who were the people staring with solemn face into the camera and who was the person under the black cloth working so diligently to preserve history? One of America's earliest photographers was Arundel Hull. He captured images of the western frontier in the late 1800's, following the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad through Nebraska, Wyoming and Utah.

Hull was an adventurous fellow, an industrious man who set out into the brand new territories and made a buck doing it. He worked with William H. Jackson for a time and while Jackson ultimately gained more fame in the art world it is thought that Hull actually took many of the Pacific Railroad Photos that are attributed to Jackson. However, saving the images of everyday people became a career that Hull embraced amongst his various community involvements in Fremont, Nebraska where he married, put down roots and raised a fine family.

The book is biographical and most interesting. Using the diary entries of Hull's wife Florence, newspaper articles and more than seventy historic photographs, the author truly transports the reader back in time to witness the exciting times of early American growth. Eugene Miller happens to be the youngest grandson of Arundel Hull; he is the son of Arundel's youngest daughter, Nina. I am quite sure that Mr. Miller has done justice and paid tribute to his family, but also he has done great service to America by reminding us of those individuals who made our country what it is today.

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