“Light on the Land: The Photographs of Albert Schlechten, by Alicia Harvey
Thirty-eight years ago, Steven B. Jackson, a Bozeman native and recent MFA graduate, was hired by the Museum of the Rockies (MOR) on a project to catalog the recently acquired Schlechten photography collection. The collection features over 30,000 images by three photographers: Albert, Alfred, and Chris Schlechten. Arriving in Bozeman in 1900, Albert and Alfred established a photography studio that would span two generations and 78 years.
In the early 1900s, Albert Schlechten began a series of landscapes using an 11×14 inch glass plate camera, creating a collection of over 175 landscapes. Jackson was enamored with Albert’s dramatic landscapes and the way the light on the land allowed fine details to emerge. He was also intrigued by the time-capsule snapshots into both the frontier and small-town sides of life found in and around Bozeman.
Zoom to present day, and Jackson has been MOR’s curator of art & photography for 35 years and an adjunct professor with the School of Film and Photography at MSU since 1984. The historical and artistic importance of Schlechten’s photography has left a lasting impression on Jackson during this four-decade timespan.
Just as Albert had a passion for capturing images on dry glass-plate negatives.
Jackson longed to bring Schlechten’s 11×14-inch photos into the light and share them with museum visitors and members. In 2016, the MOR Photo Archive began making digital scans and enlarged prints from the original glass plates. His dream is now a reality with 40 stunning images on display through December 31st at Museum of the Rockies.
Jackson’s exhibit, “Light on the Land: The Photographs of Albert Schlechten,” is a Museum of the Rockies original exhibition presenting the dramatic and beautiful natural world of Southwest Montana and Yellowstone National Park.
“Albert Schlechten’s important photographic work deserves to be recognized as a significant part of American photographic history, capturing the light and land of his world through the lens of his camera.”
Jackson holds a Bachelor of Science in film and photography from Montana State University and a Master of Fine Arts in photography and printmaking from the University of Florida. During his time at MOR, he has curated numerous exhibitions featuring fine art, photography, and history.
Jackson’s research areas include historical and contemporary art and photography, the preservation and management of photograph collections, and the digitizing and database design solutions for online access to museum collections. He teaches MSU courses on the history of photography, photography theory/criticism, and senior capstone projects.
View additional photos and exhibition details at www.museumoftherockies.org/light
Alicia Harvey is the Director of Marketing at Museum of the Rockies and can be reached at alicia.harvey@montana.edu. Photos from MOR Photo Archive and Shawn Raecke, Museum of the Rockies.
