This is an original scarce Rudolf Cronau (American/German, 1855-1939) collotype titled “Der Castle-Geysir im Yellowstone-Park. Wyoming.,” dated 1885. Rudolf Cronau was a German-American painter, illustrator and journalist who was born in Solingen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Prussia (Germany) in 1855. Rudolf was an iconic artist from the 19th Century known for many things including befriending Sitting Bull when a prisoner at Fort Randall in Dakota Territory circa 1881. He grew to be sympathetic to the Indian’s plight and fell in love with the grandeur of the West making works in pencil, some in pen, and there were a few watercolors transferring into collotypes such as this, a photo printing process using silver gelatin. This piece is from the Von Wunderland zu Wunderland. Landschafts und Lebensbilder aus den Staaten und Territorien der Union published by T.O. Wiegel, Leipzig, 1885-1887, collotypes by Rommler & Jonas. The piece is signed in the artwork bottom left, “R Cranau 1885”, titled below “Der Castle-Geysir im Yellowstone-Park. / Wyoming. / 17.”, below “Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1885, by Dr. O. V. Deuster, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, Washington, D.C.”, to the left (half cutoff) “1885 / Verlag von Max Spohr, Leipzig.”, to the right (cutoff completely) “Lichtdruck von Rommler & Jonus, Dresden.”. This piece showing the towering geyser water of the iconic Castle Geyser in Yellowstone Park of Wyoming Territory from circa 1885 from Cranau is rare with one being listed / sold by Arader Galleries for $950 and another in a lot sold by Swan Auction Galleries in 2006 for $3,200. The piece is in original configuration showing the collotype artwork mounted on grey board with printed frame, title and publishing info. The board measures 17 5/8” by 12 1/8”. Good condition for its age.