Frank Jay Haynes
Encyclopedia
Frank Jay Haynes known as F. Jay or the Professor, to almost all that knew him, was a professional photographer, publisher and entrepreneur from Minnesota
who played a major role in documenting through photographs, the settlement and early history of the great Northwest. He became both the official photographer of the Northern Pacific Railway
and of Yellowstone National Park
as well as operating early transportation concessions in the park. His photographs were widely published in articles, journals, books and turned into stereographs
and postcard
s in the late 19th and early 20th century.
on October 28, 1853 to Levi H. Haynes, a merchant and Caroline Oliphant. When he was a small boy, the family moved east to Detroit, Michigan
. F. Jay worked in his father's store as well as various other odd jobs. As a boy, he had visited the photographic studios of Mrs. Gillette in Detroit and became interested in photography. After several traveling salesman jobs, F. Jay ended up in Ripon, Wisconsin
and secured a position as an apprentice in the Doctor William H. Lockwood's Temple of Photography. He work for Lockwood for 16 months, learned the photography trade and met his future wife, a co-worker, Lily Synder. In September, 1876 F. Jay left the Lockwood Studio to start his own photographic business in Moorhead, Minnesota
with the backing of his brother-in-law, Gus Henderson.
It was in Moorhead that F. Jay his long and properous relationship with the Northern Pacific Railway. A year later, F. Jay's business was booming in Moorhead and in January 1878 he married Lily Synder in Ripon, Wisconsin and brought her to Moorhead to help with the business. They had a daughter, Bessie Loa and two sons, George and Jack Ellis. Jack Ellis Haynes (1884–1962) inherited his father's business in Yellowstone in 1916 and continued as official park photographer until his death in 1962.
, views and stereoviews of his railroad photographs. By early 1879, F. Jay had relocated his Moorhead studio to a much larger facility. However in the fall of 1879, F. Jay closed his Moorhead studio and moved west across the Red River
to Fargo, North Dakota
.
. F. Jay was a good businessman and had arranged with the railroad to supply a fixed number of prints (or views) from each negative while he retained the rights to the negatives from which he could print and sell views for his own benefit. The railroad provided F. Jay with a free pass on all the railway trains from St. Paul to Bismarck. This allowed F. Jay access to all the railroad's territory from which he could photograph anything he wanted to. From his Moorhead studio, F. Jay could hardly keep up the demand for his Northern Pacific Views and local portrait work.
In 1879, F. Jay met Charles S. Fee, the private secretary to the railroad's General Manager, H.E. Sargent. In 1883, Fee became the railroad's general passenger and ticket agent responsible for marketing the railroad. It was a position Fee held until 1904. Fee became F. Jay's biggest supporter within the railroad and they became lifelong friends.
, then superintendent of Yellowstone National Park. At the time, Norris encouraged F. Jay to visit the park with him and photograph its wonders. Because of his railroad work, F. Jay was unable to make the trip until 1881. By 1881, Northern Pacific Railroad tracks had reached Glendive, Montana
. Even before visiting the park, F. Jay's knack for business prompted him in early 1881 to apply to the Secretary of the Interior for the position of Official Photographer of Yellowstone National Park. The Secretary was unable to confer that position, but did, with Norris's backing, grant F. Jay a lease for a small photographic studio within the park along that was not made official until 1884. In September, 1881, traveling overland from Glendive, and with explicit support from Charles Fee, F. Jay made his first visit to Yellowstone National Park. In close to two months in the park, he was able to visit all the major attractions and take over 200 photographs. F. Jay returned to Yellowstone every year after that first visit until his death in 1921.
under stress from the first years of his unexpected presidency, was encouraged to take a good rest by his advisors. One of those advisors, Senator George Vest of Missouri, suggested a trip to the new national park—Yellowstone. By early summer, the unusual trip was being arranged. President Arthur would visit the park for two weeks in August, unaccompanied by any journalists. Through his notoriety with the Northern Pacific Railroad and early trips to Yellowstone, F. Jay Haynes was selected as the official photographer for the trip..
on a winter tour through the park. The expedition was sponsored by the New York World
newspaper and The Century Magazine. The expedition started at Mammoth on January 5, 1887. On skis and shoeshoes, pulling sleds laden with gear Schwatka, Haynes and eleven other guides made their way from Mammoth to Norris in two days. By the time the group got to Norris, the cold and altitude had gotten to Schwatka and he had to abandon the tour. Haynes and three other guides he knew and could depend on decided to continue on visiting both the lower, upper geyser basins and Yellowstone Falls
before trouble struck. In an attempt to get to Yancey's
from Canyon, the party got stranded for 72 hours on the slopes of Mount Washburn
in a frigid and blinding snowstorm with little or no food or shelter. They almost perished. Once the weather cleared they made their way to Yancey's to recuperate before returning the Mammoth. The 29 day tour of the park on snowshoes covered nearly 200
miles, with temperatures varying -10 F to -52 F below zero. Despite the problems on Mount Washburn, Haynes returned with 42 photographs of Yellowstone in the middle of winter, the first ever taken during that time of year.
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
who played a major role in documenting through photographs, the settlement and early history of the great Northwest. He became both the official photographer of the Northern Pacific Railway
Northern Pacific Railway
The Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...
and of Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
as well as operating early transportation concessions in the park. His photographs were widely published in articles, journals, books and turned into stereographs
Stereoscopy
Stereoscopy refers to a technique for creating or enhancing the illusion of depth in an image by presenting two offset images separately to the left and right eye of the viewer. Both of these 2-D offset images are then combined in the brain to give the perception of 3-D depth...
and postcard
Postcard
A postcard or post card is a rectangular piece of thick paper or thin cardboard intended for writing and mailing without an envelope....
s in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Early life
F. Jay was born in Saline, MichiganSaline, Michigan
Saline is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,810.The city is popular for its annual Celtic Festival, which attracts people from all over the United States and its sister cities Brecon, Wales and Lindenberg, Germany...
on October 28, 1853 to Levi H. Haynes, a merchant and Caroline Oliphant. When he was a small boy, the family moved east to Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. F. Jay worked in his father's store as well as various other odd jobs. As a boy, he had visited the photographic studios of Mrs. Gillette in Detroit and became interested in photography. After several traveling salesman jobs, F. Jay ended up in Ripon, Wisconsin
Ripon, Wisconsin
Ripon is a city in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,828. The City of Ripon's official website claims the city's current population to be 7,701. The city is surrounded by the Town of Ripon....
and secured a position as an apprentice in the Doctor William H. Lockwood's Temple of Photography. He work for Lockwood for 16 months, learned the photography trade and met his future wife, a co-worker, Lily Synder. In September, 1876 F. Jay left the Lockwood Studio to start his own photographic business in Moorhead, Minnesota
Moorhead, Minnesota
Moorhead is a city in Clay County, Minnesota, United States, and the largest city in northwest Minnesota. The population was 38,065 at the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Clay County....
with the backing of his brother-in-law, Gus Henderson.
It was in Moorhead that F. Jay his long and properous relationship with the Northern Pacific Railway. A year later, F. Jay's business was booming in Moorhead and in January 1878 he married Lily Synder in Ripon, Wisconsin and brought her to Moorhead to help with the business. They had a daughter, Bessie Loa and two sons, George and Jack Ellis. Jack Ellis Haynes (1884–1962) inherited his father's business in Yellowstone in 1916 and continued as official park photographer until his death in 1962.
Moorhead, Minnesota
The first Haynes Studio was established in Moorhead, Minnesota in December 1876. From this studio, F. Jay was able to build on his railroad business with the sales of local cabinet portraitsCabinet card
The Cabinet card was the style of photograph which was universally adopted for photographic portraiture in 1870. It consisted of a thin photograph that was generally mounted on cards measuring 4¼ by 6½ inches.-History:...
, views and stereoviews of his railroad photographs. By early 1879, F. Jay had relocated his Moorhead studio to a much larger facility. However in the fall of 1879, F. Jay closed his Moorhead studio and moved west across the Red River
Red River of the North
The Red River is a North American river. Originating at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers in the United States, it flows northward through the Red River Valley and forms the border between the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota before continuing into Manitoba, Canada...
to Fargo, North Dakota
Fargo, North Dakota
Fargo is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County. In 2010, its population was 105,549, and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 208,777...
.
Haynes Palace Studio Car
In 1885, F. Jay bought a Pullman Car from the Northern Pacific Railroad and had it refitted as a photographic studio. The NPR charged F. Jay a nominal fee to haul the car around the railroad system. In 1901, the fee was $.35/mile contingent on F. Jay providing the railroad with a nominal number of free photographs of rolling stock and railroad buildings for publicity purposes. Whenever the Palace Studio Car would visit a town, F. Jay or his employees would take photos for local customers and provide them with prints on later visits. F. Jay operated the car successfully between 1885 and 1905.Official photographer - Northern Pacific Railroad
Shortly after his move to Moorhead, Minnesota in 1876 F. Jay began doing photographic work for elements of the Northern Pacific Railway as the railway expanded operations west. By October 1876, he had a contract with the railway for work in the 1877 season. His job was to supply publicity photos and stereoscopic views of rolling stock, depots, sights along the railway and construction activities from St. Paul, Minnesota to Bismarck, North DakotaBismarck, North Dakota
Bismarck is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the second most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. The city's population was 61,272 at the 2010 census, while its metropolitan population was 108,779...
. F. Jay was a good businessman and had arranged with the railroad to supply a fixed number of prints (or views) from each negative while he retained the rights to the negatives from which he could print and sell views for his own benefit. The railroad provided F. Jay with a free pass on all the railway trains from St. Paul to Bismarck. This allowed F. Jay access to all the railroad's territory from which he could photograph anything he wanted to. From his Moorhead studio, F. Jay could hardly keep up the demand for his Northern Pacific Views and local portrait work.
In 1879, F. Jay met Charles S. Fee, the private secretary to the railroad's General Manager, H.E. Sargent. In 1883, Fee became the railroad's general passenger and ticket agent responsible for marketing the railroad. It was a position Fee held until 1904. Fee became F. Jay's biggest supporter within the railroad and they became lifelong friends.
Official photographer and concessionaire - Yellowstone National Park
In 1877, F. Jay made the acquaintance of Philetus NorrisPhiletus Norris
Philetus W. Norris was the second superintendent of Yellowstone National Park and was the first person to be paid for that position.- Early life :...
, then superintendent of Yellowstone National Park. At the time, Norris encouraged F. Jay to visit the park with him and photograph its wonders. Because of his railroad work, F. Jay was unable to make the trip until 1881. By 1881, Northern Pacific Railroad tracks had reached Glendive, Montana
Glendive, Montana
Glendive is a city in and the county seat of Dawson County, Montana, United States. The population was 4,935 at the 2010 census.The town of Glendive is located in South Eastern Montana and is considered by many as an agricultural hub of Eastern Montana...
. Even before visiting the park, F. Jay's knack for business prompted him in early 1881 to apply to the Secretary of the Interior for the position of Official Photographer of Yellowstone National Park. The Secretary was unable to confer that position, but did, with Norris's backing, grant F. Jay a lease for a small photographic studio within the park along that was not made official until 1884. In September, 1881, traveling overland from Glendive, and with explicit support from Charles Fee, F. Jay made his first visit to Yellowstone National Park. In close to two months in the park, he was able to visit all the major attractions and take over 200 photographs. F. Jay returned to Yellowstone every year after that first visit until his death in 1921.
1883 President Chester A. Arthur's expedition to Yellowstone National Park
In May 1883, President Chester A. ArthurChester A. Arthur
Chester Alan Arthur was the 21st President of the United States . Becoming President after the assassination of President James A. Garfield, Arthur struggled to overcome suspicions of his beginnings as a politician from the New York City Republican machine, succeeding at that task by embracing...
under stress from the first years of his unexpected presidency, was encouraged to take a good rest by his advisors. One of those advisors, Senator George Vest of Missouri, suggested a trip to the new national park—Yellowstone. By early summer, the unusual trip was being arranged. President Arthur would visit the park for two weeks in August, unaccompanied by any journalists. Through his notoriety with the Northern Pacific Railroad and early trips to Yellowstone, F. Jay Haynes was selected as the official photographer for the trip..
1887 Winter Tour
In December 1886, Haynes was selected to accompany arctic explorer, Frederick SchwatkaFrederick Schwatka
Frederick Gustavus Schwatka was a United States Army lieutenant with degrees in medicine and law and a noted explorer of northern Canada and Alaska.-Early life and career:...
on a winter tour through the park. The expedition was sponsored by the New York World
New York World
The New York World was a newspaper published in New York City from 1860 until 1931. The paper played a major role in the history of American newspapers...
newspaper and The Century Magazine. The expedition started at Mammoth on January 5, 1887. On skis and shoeshoes, pulling sleds laden with gear Schwatka, Haynes and eleven other guides made their way from Mammoth to Norris in two days. By the time the group got to Norris, the cold and altitude had gotten to Schwatka and he had to abandon the tour. Haynes and three other guides he knew and could depend on decided to continue on visiting both the lower, upper geyser basins and Yellowstone Falls
Yellowstone Falls
Yellowstone Falls consist of two major waterfalls on the Yellowstone River, within Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States. As the Yellowstone river flows north from Yellowstone Lake, it leaves the Hayden Valley and plunges first over Upper Yellowstone Falls and then a quarter mile ...
before trouble struck. In an attempt to get to Yancey's
John F. Yancey
John F. Yancey also known as Uncle John Yancey was a Yellowstone National Park concessionaire who operated Yancey's Pleasant Valley hotel near Tower Junction in Yellowstone from 1882 until his death in 1903.-Early life:Very little is known about John Yancey's early life in Kentucky, although it is...
from Canyon, the party got stranded for 72 hours on the slopes of Mount Washburn
Mount Washburn
Mount Washburn el. is a prominent mountain peak in the Washburn Range in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. The peak was named in 1870 to honor Henry D. Washburn, leader of the Washburn–Langford–Doane Expedition...
in a frigid and blinding snowstorm with little or no food or shelter. They almost perished. Once the weather cleared they made their way to Yancey's to recuperate before returning the Mammoth. The 29 day tour of the park on snowshoes covered nearly 200
miles, with temperatures varying -10 F to -52 F below zero. Despite the problems on Mount Washburn, Haynes returned with 42 photographs of Yellowstone in the middle of winter, the first ever taken during that time of year.
Memorials
Upon F. Jay's death in 1921, Horace Albright, then superintendent of Yellowstone National Park officially named a peak in the Madison Canyon area of the park Mount Haynes 44°37′58"N 110°56′46"W. Additionally Albright had a large granite boulder taken from the Golden Gate section of the Mammoth to Norris road shipped to St Paul, MN to be placed on F. Jay's grave. Many of F. Jay Haynes' original photographs are highly valued collectors items, especially his larger 20-24 inch mammoth prints of the Yellowstone region. Original Haynes photos have been priced between $5,000 and $25,000 and some might command $50,000 today.Works published and/or illustrated by F. Jay Haynes
-
- The Haynes Guide was published annually and continually until 1966, first by F. Jay Haynes and then by his son Jack Ellis Haynes.