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Collection Spotlight

George Harvey, Jr. Photograph Albums

As we mentioned in our previous post, this April marks the 103rd anniversary of the establishment of the Colorado Mountain Club! History Colorado holds several collections documenting the CMC’s members and adventures, including the recently processed George Harvey, Jr. photograph albums (Ph.00094) (PDF). These seven albums document the club’s early years, from 1913 to about 1923.

George Harvey, Jr. photographing a scene at Dream Lake at 5 am.

George Harvey, Jr. photographing a scene at Dream Lake at 5 am. Photo by George C. Barnard.

George C. Barnard

The collection contains 919 photographs, most of them shot by amateur photographer George Harvey, Jr. (1876-1960). Harvey worked in Denver as a wholesale leather glove dealer, but he spent much of his spare time with the CMC. He served the club in a number of capacities; he acted on the Board of Directors from 1913 to 1922, was vice president in 1920 and president from 1921 to about 1922, and served on the Outing Committee in 1913-15, 1917-18 and 1920.

An individual slides through snow down a Clear Creek Basin mountainside. Several men stand at the rocky base of the slope with arms outstretched.

Someone slides down a Clear Creek Basin mountainside into the arms of fellow CMC club members in 1915.

George Harvey, Jr.

The club’s original 1912 charter statement read:

“We are organized to unite the energy, interest, and knowledge, of the students, explorers, and lovers of the mountains of Colorado; to collect and disseminate information regarding the Rocky Mountains in behalf of science, literature, art and recreation; to stimulate the public interest in our mountain areas; to encourage the preservation of forests, flowers, fauna, and natural scenery; and to render readily accessible the alpine attractions of this region.”

Silhouette of several people standing on Longs Peak in the early morning.

CMC on the summit of Longs Peak at 4:30 am on August 21, 1913.

George Harvey, Jr.

The photographs in this collection are stunning visual representations of the values outlined in the charter, capturing the energy, people, exploration and natural beauty that the CMC hoped to promote. The images not only document the CMC’s trips around the state, including the summits of Longs Peak, Mt. Craig and Hallett Peak, but they also feature early club members who were prominent in Colorado mountaineering and wildlife preservation.

Five men stand in a snowy, mountainous landscape holding cameras.

George Harvey, Jr. captures a scene of his fellow photographers in the club.

George Harvey, Jr.

James Grafton Rogers (1883-1971), the first CMC president and a lawyer who drafted legislation to create Rocky Mountain National Park, is depicted in the albums, as is Carl Blaurock (1894-1993), the first person, along with climbing partner William Ervin, to climb all 14,000-foot peaks in Colorado.

A group of women climb Andrews Glacier around 1913.

A group of women climb Andrews Glacier around 1913.

George Harvey, Jr.

Other notables include Agnes Vaille (1890-1925), whose many accomplishments include serving on the CMC board, volunteering with the Red Cross during World War I, serving as secretary of the Denver Chamber of Commerce and climbing many of Colorado’s fourteeners. In 1925, Vaille perished on her descent after summiting Longs Peak in the dead of winter. The photographs in this collection illustrate the dedication, passion and determination of the earliest club members.

Agnes Vaille and a fellow member of CMC cook on a campfire.

Agnes Vaille and a fellow CMC member cook on a campfire, about 1914.

George Harvey, Jr.

Many of the CMC members were avid photographers who carried their cameras with them on their climbs. After each trip, the club shared and exchanged the photographs they shot, so members could assemble them into personal photo albums. The club has held an annual photography exhibition since 1918. The role of photography in the CMC is evidenced by many of Harvey’s photographs, which capture club members documenting scenes with their cameras.

Several awakening members of the Colorado Mountain Club rest in an open-air camp.

CMC members awake under the stars in Loch Vale at 5:30 am in 1913.

George Harvey, Jr.

The strength of the George Harvey, Jr. collection really lies in his behind-the-scenes shots, revealing inconspicuous moments of early Colorado mountaineering. Harvey and other photographers in the club didn’t wait to reach the summit to start taking their photos. In fact, many of their shots capture the intervening moments that happened nowhere near a summit. Harvey documented grooming procedures in the wilderness, such as washing and shaving via small water bowls set atop a makeshift platform; chores such as setting up camp and making small bridges; mealtimes via a pot and fire; and sleeping under the stars with no hotel in sight.

A woman prepares to catch a ball.

CMC members play a game of ball in 1915.

George Harvey, Jr.
A woman wearing a broad-brimmed hat poses with a bat over her right shoulder.

CMC members play a game of ball in 1915.

George Harvey, Jr.
A man stands with arms overhead in the midst of a swinging movement. A ball is moving through the air in the foreground.

CMC members play a game of ball in 1915.

George Harvey, Jr.

The photographs also capture a real camaraderie amongst the group. In their downtime the club passed the time by performing theatrical plays and playing ball games, cards and tug-of-war.

The photographs in the George Harvey, Jr. collection have so many different stories to tell about the CMC members, their mission and their accomplishments, and we’re excited to start unraveling these narratives. We’re in the process of researching and digitizing many of the photographs in the George Harvey, Jr. albums, and those will be available very soon on our Online Collections Search at h-co.org/collections!

History Colorado also holds other related collections, including the Colorado Mountain Club collection (Mss.00144), which contains diaries, notebooks, correspondence and other archival material. Additionally, this summer the Photography Department will be processing and digitizing our Agnes Vaille photograph collection, which documents her involvement with the Red Cross during World War I, as well our Colorado Mountain Club lantern slide collection! Don’t forget: You can also visit our Stephen H. Hart Library and Research Center to view these collections in person!

CMC members play a game of tug-of-war in a meadow.

CMC members engage in a tug-of-war competition in 1917.

George Harvey, Jr.
The author of the article stands beside a wall. Beside her are two increasingly faded copies of her image.

Emily Moazami, Photo Archivist & Associate Curator of Photography at History Colorado

Emily Moazami