North American Auction Company
Live Auction

Montana Premier March 4th Collector Auction

Sat, Mar 4, 2023 11:00AM EST
Lot 749

Two Early 1900s Montana Photographs

Estimate: $150 - $300

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
For your consideration are these two early Montana photos from two photographers, Ernest Thompson Seton and H. Lee Jellum. The first photo in this collection is by Ernest Thompson Seton (1860-1946) an English-born Canadian-American author, wildlife artist, photographer, and founder of the Woodcraft Indians in 1902 and one of the founding pioneers of the Boy Scouts of America in 1910. The photo depicts three men riding on horseback leaving Many Glaciers Camp. Many Glacier was built by the Great Northern Railway as the showplace of their network of chalets and hotels. A hardy crew of craftsmen overcame the difficulties of building what was then Montana's largest hotel while withstanding winter temperatures below zero degrees in order to have the hotel completed for a July 4, 1915 opening. On the back of the photo is gives a description of what is happening in the photo. It reads, " ? Leaving Many Glacier Camp for ? ? ?. Ernest Thompson Seton". Below that it reads, "C. R. Foster" and "67 Many Glaciers". The photo is in good condition overall with no signs of damage present. The photograph measures 5 7/8" L x 7 7/8" W. The second photo in this collection is from photographer H. Lee Jellum. The photograph shows Drummond, Montana from atop a hill in the early 1900s. The small town of Drummond can be seen from this one photo. It shows a chapel on the left side, a grain mill on the right hand side and houses and other buildings scattered throughout the center of the town. Some locations on the photo are numbered. The photo reads near the middle, "Drummond Mont., H Lee Jellum Photo". The photo shows some discoloration with spots of yellow and slight wear from its vintage age but is in overall good condition. It measures 6 1/2" L x 19 3/8" W.