Evening Lecture: John K. Hillers, Photographic Chronicler of John Wesley Powell’s 1872 Expedition

7:00pm

Free

Presented by Carol Ormond, Thunderbird Foundation for the Arts

When John Wesley Powell explored the Green and Colorado Rivers during his famous expedition of the Grand Canyon 150 years ago, there was no photographer to capture images of the experience. Fortunately, Powell found a master photographic chronicler for his 1872 expedition in boatman John K. Hillers. In spite of daunting challenges, Hillers captured priceless images of the people who inhabited the most remote and inhospitable terrain on the continent. A rare collection of original 116 images on display at the Thunderbird Foundation for the Arts in Mt. Carmel, Utah and preserved in a new book, The People: The Missing Piece of John Wesley Powell’s Expeditions, immortalizes the culture of the indigenous people of this region. You are invited to explore the story behind Hillers’ involvement with the Powell expedition, the process for making photographs in the field in 1872, and the history of the people whose lives and culture were captured by Hillers. Without his images, the world of the indigenous tribes of the Southwest region would have been a “missing piece” forever. The West House of the Riordan Mansion will be open from 6:00-6:45 to allow guests to see five original photo transparencies and copies of the letters between Michael Riordan and John Hillers. Space is limited, reservations are REQUIRED.

928-779-4395