This is an original scarce Rudolf Cronau (American/German, 1855-1939) collotype titled “Die ‘Mammoth Hot Springs’ 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, “Rudolf Cranau 82”, titled below “Die ,,Mammoth Hot Springs” im Yellowstone-Park. / Wyoming. / 3.”, 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 “1885 / Verlag von Max Spohr, Leipzig.”, to the right “Lichtdruck von Rommler & Jonus, Dresden.”. This piece showing the hot spring pools of Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone dating to circa 1885 from Cranau is rare with one being listed / sold by Arader Galleries for $1,500 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 showing a corner loss on the bottom left of the board.