Rocky Mountain peaks from Camp on Josephs' Prairie. "Steeples" bear N.E.
between 1857 and 1862 National Archives and Records Administration
About this artwork
This watercolor depicts a surveying camp nestled in an open prairie landscape with prominent mountain peaks in the background. It is a work by James Madison Alden, who served as an artist for the United States Northwest Boundary Commission.
Did you know?
James Madison Alden was tasked by the U.S. government to document the scenic and topographical features of the Pacific Northwest during the survey of the boundary between the United States and British North America. His watercolors provide a rare, detailed look at the rugged, largely untouched frontier landscape as it appeared in the mid-19th century. Interestingly, his meticulous work was not only for artistic purposes but served as essential visual records for the commission's geographical and geological reports.
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Rocky Mountain peaks from Camp on Josephs' Prairie. "Steeples" bear N.E.
James Alden, between 1857 and 1862
