May 31, 2023 |
Photo – Houghton depiction of the E and H Building in Encampment WY – Courtesy Grand Encampment Museum
The Grand Encampment Museum will host a presentation on a famous artist known for his illustrations of the American West.
On June 26th, Michael Amundson will be at the Grand Encampment Museum. Amundson is a history professor at Northern Arizona University. He is an expert on Merritt Dana Houghton. Amundson said Houghton was a famous illustrator who did much of his work in Carbon County.
Amundson said Houghton lived all across Wyoming, including in the namesake of our county, Carbon. The history professor said Houghton visited the Platte River Valley many times to create his art.
Amundson said Houghton’s drawings were often preferred over photographs. The history professor said the artist was able to create an idealized version of what he was seeing. Amundson said business owners used Houghton’s art to showcase the success of their operations.
Amundson said Houghton also illustrated an early 20th century Wyoming history book. He said the artist used physical evidence and oral accounts to recreate structures from the past.
Houghton’s illustrations were not solely focused on recreating Carbon County’s population centers. Amundson said Houghton was a prolific artist who drew pictures of a variety of subjects.
Amundson said starting in mid-June, he will tour Wyoming, giving talks about Houghton. He said he chose his speaking engagements based on places the artist had visited during his career.
Amundson published a biography about the artist titled, “The Art and Life of Merritt Dana Houghton in the Northern Rockies, 1878-1919.”
He encourages anyone with an original Houghton drawing to bring it to his presentation. Amundson said he and his publisher are creating an online catalog of recently discovered illustrations.
Amundson said the Grand Encampment Museum houses one of the largest collections of Houghton drawings in the country.
Michael Amundson’s presentation on the life and art of Merritt Dana Houghton is Monday, June 26, at 6:00 pm, at the Grand Encampment Museum.
