North American Auction Company
Live Auction

Timeless Treasures: 19th C. Native, Western Photographs & French Elegance

Sat, Sep 13, 2025 11:00AM EDT
  2025-09-13 11:00:00 2025-09-13 11:00:00 America/New_York North American Auction Company North American Auction Company : Timeless Treasures: 19th C. Native, Western Photographs & French Elegance https://live.naabid.com/auctions/north-american-auction/timeless-treasures-19th-c-native-western-photographs-french-elegance-20467
Join us Saturday, September 13th at 9am MT in Bozeman, MT for Timeless Treasures: 19th C. Native, Western Photographs & French Elegance. This exceptional auction features a remarkable collection of 19th-century Native American artifacts, rare Western photography by Haynes, Huffman, and other Montana photographers, and an impressive selection of 18th-century French furniture. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to acquire historic and elegant treasures. Browse the full catalog at live.naabid.com
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Lot 167

Frank Jay Haynes Original Yellowstone Park Camera

Estimate: $10,000 - $15,000
Starting Bid
$2,500

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$50 $10
$100 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$25,000 $2,500
$100,000 $5,000
This is the original circa early 1900’s Frank Jay Haynes owned and marked Yellowstone National Park large format camera and tripod from Haynes Yellowstone Park Studio in Montana. Both the camera and the tripod bear the original F.J. Haynes brass tags, correctly found on his cameras. The tags are marked, “Haynes Equipment Corporation Rapid Photographic Apparatus 341-5 Selby Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota.”The lot includes the original late-19th century Haynes Studio marked tripod and circa early 1900’s Haynes Studio marked camera, which appears to be a Conley large format with long bellows. Frank Jay Haynes (October 28, 1853 – March 10, 1921), also known as F. Jay Haynes, F.J. Haynes or the Professor to those that knew him, was a prolific photographer, publisher, and entrepreneur from Minnesota who played a major role in photographing the early Northwest. Haynes became the official photographer for both the Northern Pacific Railway and Yellowstone National Park, and for a time operated a special railroad car equipped as a mobile photography studio, which he called "Haynes Palace Studio." He is one of the most prolific photographers of both Yellowstone Park and Montana during the 19th and 20th centuries. Provenance: Ex-Frank Jay Haynes Yellowstone National Park Studio in Montana; after F.J. Haynes death in March 1921, the camera along with other Haynes Studio items were sold to a private collector in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the items sat dormant in storage for three decades; sold in 2023 for $10,000 (shown w/ bp). The Conley Camera Company was founded in 1899 by brothers Kerry and Frederick Conley in Spring Valley, Minnesota. They become famous as a true competitor to Kodak in the early 1900’s and made only dry-plate cameras. Through fierce competition and their large customer Sears acquiring Seneca Camera Co. In 1924, eventually drove Conley to ceased camera production in 1927. This camera from circa 1900-1912 is likely a variation model of the Model No. 1 Conley View Camera, Model BS Conley View Camera or Model B.W. View Camera and shows a Conley Safety early shutter, long or long-draw bellows, cherry or mahogany case in an 8x10 large format. The camera is well kept with a well preserved beautiful cherry or mahogany case, with nice bellows and the original Conley rail. The tripod appears to be earlier and shows more wear but is still a solid original piece. Imagine what images this took at the reach of one of the most iconic Yellowstone Photographers himself, Frank J. Haynes. Camera when the bellows are closed and is folded up measures approximately 15-inches high by 13.75-inches wide by 6-inched deep. When the rail attachment is secured to the back and the front rail is folded down and secured the camera is 30 3/5-inches long. The camera lens OD (outside diameter) is 2 1/8-inches. Camera back glass plate is 8-inches by 10-inches and is marked, "8" x 10" / 18x24 / CAMBO SC." Tripod measures by itself 35.5-inches long at its shortest when folded up. Several images of Haynes with large format cameras or other Haynes cameras are shown for example in the photo gallery. Once listed as high as $35,000 this historic camera is offered to public for this last chance to collect an important piece of Haynes history.

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