Hell's Half Acre, Y.N.P., No. 2066

Solomon D. Butcher, best known for his definitive photographs of Nebraska pioneer life, also worked with his son to document the sublime landscapes of the American West. This stereoview postcard captures the thermal features of an area then called Hell's Half Acre in Yellowstone National Park. The object represents Butcher's commercial foray into the popular market for scenic tourism views, a distinct venture from his long term project chronicling settlement on the Great Plains.