Montana: a Paper Trail

Helena MT: Montana Historical Society Press, 2023. Thomas Minckler has dedicated his life to collecting artifacts connected to Montana and northern Plains history. Follow his "paper trail" of letters, documents, vintage photographs, rare books, paintings, and ephemera that bring to life our fascinating past"- The wide-ranging collection includes the sole image of James Kipp (1788-1880), the iconic builder of Upper Missouri River fur trading posts. It also includes photos of the legendary Ferdinand Hayden's Yellowstone Expedition in 1871 taken by Bozeman photographer Joshua Crissman, who produced the first images of Yellowstone Park and the only known photo of the Expedition's wagon train. In addition, the collection includes outstanding unpublished material by Granville Stuart, Teddy Blue Abbott, C.M. Russell, Thomas Meagher, Father Pierre DeSmet, and George Armstrong Custer. This is perhaps the greatest collection that has appeared since the days of rarities of the Streeter sale. Thomas Minckler spent a half century gathering 19th and early 20th century letters and documents, vintage photographs, rare books, and paintings. The hardcover edition is only recorded in two libraries: the Library of Congress and the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. Our copy is in fine condition in a fine dust jacket with no flaws of any kind.