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Outreach in the Western Region

Historical Photographs

These photographs were made Web-accessible in response to demands from the public and the media for historical photographs of USGS mappers at work. All photographs within this collection are public domain. No permission is required for use or reproduction and images may be downloaded at no charge. For any use made of a photograph, credit should be given to the individual photographer (where noted) and the U.S. Geological Survey.

1890 - 1924 Photos 1925 - 1953 Photos 1955 - 1993 Photos

circa 1925 Fieldmen carrying gear in Kodiak, Alaska circa 1925. From the Gerald Fitzgerald album. Enlarge Image

circa 1925 USGS topographers. Enlarge Image

1926 LaRue with Native American guide at the head of the Pinto Trail, Grand Canyon Area, on Water Resources job. Enlarge Image

1926 Two fieldmen working with an alidade and planetable in New Mexico. The man on the right is believed to be Roland Whitman Burchard, who was the topographer of the USGS Grand Canyon Expedition of 1923. Author Lewis Freeman described Burchard as a man of "powerful physique, great endurance, and a cool, steady hand." Enlarge Image

1928 Topographer George Stanley Druhot working with a tripod, planetable, and alidade at Kahekili Leap, west of Mokapu Point on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. His two companions are Malcolm Springer and Tai Hai Lau. The photo was taken by Henry Matsuda. Druhot's 39-year career with the USGS included 55 field assignments in 22 states. This photo was used by Bob Ginn of the USGS Western Mapping Center as the basis of a poster celebrating the 100th anniversary of the USGS in 1979. Enlarge Image

circa 1929 Field assistant Fred M. Bullard. Enlarge Image

1931 Mapping the north half of the Lovelock 1° quadrangle in the desert area near Jungo, Nevada. August, 1931. Enlarge Image

1931 Mapping at the 1:180,000 scale near Imlay, Nevada. Enlarge Image

1931 George Stanley Druhot working with a plane table and alidade on Mount Constance in the Olympic Mountains, Washington. Enlarge Image

1931 Topographic party crossing a snowdrift at the head of Grand Creek above their camp near Moose Lake. July 29, 1931. Mt. Constance quadrangle (Olympic Mountains), Washington. Enlarge Image

1932 George Stanley Druhot at a plane table in Fullerton, California, in the Spring of 1932. Recorder R.H. Moore is at the Pierce Arrow in the background. Enlarge Image

1932 George Stanley Druhot making his last set-up on a level line run for the Bureau of Mines for a proposed tram-line on oil-shale cliffs north of the Colorado River near Grand Valley, Colorado. Enlarge Image

1940-1941 Mounted field party working in the Dos Cabezas quadrangle, Arizona. Enlarge Image

1950 Waldo Burton triangulating near the Trinity Alps of California. Enlarge Image

circa 1950 Preparing to set a brass marker for a triangulation station. Enlarge Image

circa 1950 Don Winstead setting a brass marker for a triangulation station Enlarge Image

circa 1950 Don Winstead shooting angles at a triangulation station. A brass station marker is visible at his feet. Enlarge Image

circa 1950-1955 A typical USGS mapping field camp. Note the helicopter parked near the trailers. Helicopters were first used by the USGS for topographic mapping in Death Valley in 1948. Enlarge Image

circa 1952-1955 Topographer Jim Clark in southwest Utah. Enlarge Image

1953 Group photo taken in March, 1953 showing a USGS field party at their camp in Utah. The camp included three helicopters, about 15 house trailers, a mobile power supply, a water trailer, and several collapsible "Chic Sales" (outhouses). The campsite was on Robbers Roost Mesa east of Hanksville, Utah. Left to right, front row: James Mitchell, Mrs. Don Schnur, Mrs. Robert Schnur, Don Schnur (Mechanic), William H. Chapman, Ray Chaisson (Pilot), James Clark, Harry Forcier (camp helper) and Charles Pitt; Second row: Jackson Hughes (Pilot), Chester R. "Chet" Lloyd (Project Engineer), Lloyd "Slim" Mansfield, Robert G. Stevenson (District Engineer), Quincy Maxfield (helper), James Tennant, James Savage, Jack Church, Robert Schnur (Mechanic), Reed Maxfield (helper), Lester Wunsch (Pilot), and Warren "Buzz" Brown. The two dogs are "Mike" Brown and "Tidewater" Clark. Enlarge Image

1953 A USGS field mapping crew relaxes in their mobile trailer near Hanksville, Utah in 1953. Seated left to right are camp helper Harry Forcier, District Engineer Robert G. Stevenson, Project Engineer Chester R. "Chet" Lloyd, and Jack Church. Enlarge Image

1953 Engineer Chester R. "Chet" Lloyd using a Wild T-2 theodolite to determine geographic position and elevation in southeastern Utah. A planetable and alidade are on the left. The brass marker for the triangulation station is visible in the rock directly in front of Lloyd's boot. Enlarge Image

1953 Project Engineer Chester R. "Chet" Lloyd in the doorway of a mobile trailer in camp on Robbers Roost Mesa east of Hanksville, Utah. March, 1953. Enlarge Image

1953 Field camp on Robbers Roost Mesa east of Hanksville, Utah. This campsite was selected because Charlie Pitt's truck broke an axle at this point. Also, the snow was getting too deep to go much farther. Enlarge Image

1953 Communicating with a mapping crew from a mobile trailer in Utah. William H. Chapman is seated at left; Warren "Buzz" Brown is standing on the right; Robert Stevenson is seated in the center. The field group included three helicopters, about 15 house trailers, mobile power supply, awater trailer, several collapsible "Chic Sales", wives, children, and two dogs. Their campsite on Robbers Roost Mesa, east of Hanksville, Utah, was selected because Charlie Pitt's truck broke an axle at this point. Also, the snow was getting too deep to go much farther. Enlarge Image

1953 Jim Tennant at a triangulation station overlooking the junction of the Colorado River and the Green River in southeastern Utah. Tennant is using a walkie-talkie radio that operated on 6-8 D-cell batteries. The batteries had to be replaced frequently. Enlarge Image

1953 A helicopter makes access easy in southeastern Utah. Helicopters were first used by the USGS for topographic mapping in 1948 in Death Valley. In 1972, the Western Mapping Center in Menlo Park, California became the first USGS office to own and operate its own helicopter. Prior to that time, all helicopter transport was provided by contractors. Enlarge Image

1953 Helicopter at a triangulation station in southern Utah. Enlarge Image

1953 A helicopter delivers a surveyor to a triangulation station in southern Utah. Enlarge Image

1953 Project Engineer Chester R. "Chet" Lloyd (left) and pilot Lester Wunsch (right) doing reconnaissance for a mapping project in southeastern Utah, 1953. When Lloyd and his pilot were taking off later from another location, the helicopter lost power right after liftoff and crash-landed on a snowy downhill slope. Lloyd was ejected through the plexiglass bubble and slid down the slope 50-60 feet. Thanks to the snow and the sheepskin coat that he is wearing in this photo, his only injury was a broken collar bone. The pilot was held in place by his seatbelt and was not hurt. Their hand-held radio was undamaged and they were able to call for help. Enlarge Image

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U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey URL: http://online.wr.usgs.gov/outreach/historicPhotos/historical_photos_1925-1953.html Page Contact Information: Western Region Web Team Page Last Modified: Thursday, 18-Jan-2007 17:15:34 EST (alv)