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John Grabill Deadwood Pictures
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To see our full collection of
John Grabill Deadwood Pictures,
John C. H. Grabill sent one
hundred and eighty eight photographs to the Library of Congress
between the years 1887 and 1892. This collection is considered
the premier collection of western frontier photography in the
United States today. Known for their gritty realism, these
sepia-toned windows to the past capture the American West in the
midst of settlement. The well-crafted images evoke a definite
sense of place and time that allow the viewer to peer into a
world that otherwise survives only in our imaginations, and the
stuff of legends.
 Much of
Grabill’s
work was done in and around Deadwood, South Dakota. Through the
lens of a camera, he documented the development of the railroad,
wagons and coaches, sheepherding, cattle branding and roundups,
hunting, mining, freighting, smelting, and milling; as well as
sweeping western landscapes and the people that filled them.
Not only did Grabill depict the lives of immigrant Chinese, he
also visually documented the memorable faces of the Lakota Sioux
living on or near the Cheyenne River and the Pine Ridge
reservations. Furthermore, the interactions between those
peoples and the U.S. military, government agents, and with
William “Buffalo Bill” Cody are also preserved in Grabill’s
images.
 Grabill did not
have to look far to find historical gems in Deadwood. The city
was founded not long after the discovery of gold in1876; miners,
engineers, and others looking to join in on the search for gold
soon followed and a thriving town was carved out of the
wilderness. At the outset, vigilante law and brute force ruled
the town. Claim jumpers, and outlaws peopled the town that
consisted of various saloons, gaming houses and brothels. The
local color, for all its dangers, was full with the Wild West’s
most famous, and favorite heroes. Legendary figures Wild Bill
Hickok, and Calamity Jane each left their distinctive mark on
the town. Calamity Jane did so with her bawdy behavior,
preference for men’s clothing, and her deadly aim. Wild Bill a
legend in his own time was another western hero to dazzle the
lawless town with his larger than life persona only to be shot
dead in Deadwood’s ‘No. 10’ saloon. Both are buried in the
famous Mt. Moriah cemetery at the base of the famous landmark.
Eventually this rough and tumble camp evolved into a governed
metropolis, thanks to the establishment of a rail system; yet,
not before John C. H. Grabill had photographed the unique
untamed atmosphere of the burgeoning Deadwood.
 Little is known
of the artist before he began on his extensive collection of
western photography. He was obviously trained in his craft
before coming to South Dakota, because upon his arrival he
immediately opened up a studio in Sturgis, and in other
surrounding cities including Deadwood. While his past prior to
his arrival in the West may be obscured, the images of his life
in Deadwood and the Wild West will live on in his photographs.
Margaret McGuire, 2004.
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