In the spring of 2001, the exhibit, or parts of it, will begin traveling to some of the Colorado Historical Society's eleven other sites. From there it may move on to other Colorado cities and even to other states -- the Autry Museum of Western Heritage in Los Angeles has reportedly expressed an interest in the show.
Anthony Camera
Making book: John Fielder's work spans a century.
"I don't think the museum has ever done something this comprehensive before," says development director Whitley. "We had to invest a certain amount to make it all happen, but everything has exceeded our expectations. Last August 1, we had 3,000 people here -- that's unheard of -- and they were lined up around the block. (12,041 people had seen the exhibit as of the end of February.) Every time he's been here to sign books, we've had lines. It's just unreal."
Not for Fielder.
A businessman in his former life -- he has an accounting degree from Duke University and worked as the general manager of the May D&F store in the Southglenn Mall -- Fielder has always applied selling techniques to his artwork. "My background in the department-store business separated me from other photographers," he says. "Along the way, I developed a pretty good marketing sense. I had a knack for it and an interest in selling what I do."
Fielder ditched his suit and tie for a safari vest and a tripod in 1981. With a loan from his father, he started Westcliffe Publishers and put out a calendar. The next year, he sold 50 percent of his company to an investor in return for a line of credit and published his first photography book, and he has produced at least one calendar and one book of his own photos every year since then. But Fielder, who is 49, has also expanded Westcliffe, which now publishes up to 25 books and 35 calendars a year, all focused on photography, wildlife and the natural landscape.
If Fielder was inspired by Jackson's images, he was also inspired by his predecessor's publishing empire. Eric Paddock, curator of photography for the Colorado Historical Society, wrote an essay about Jackson in Colorado 1870-2000, which goes on at length about the earlier photographer's business acumen.
Jackson began taking pictures professionally in 1868, at the age of 25, and although his first studio was in Omaha, Nebraska, he spent most of his time traveling around the West. His work caught the attention of Ferdinand Hayden, a surveyor who was helping document the size and scope of the country, including Colorado, and Jackson spent ten years working for him. His photos captured the imagination of people everywhere, because they exposed not just the natural beauty of the landscape but its potential for uses such as mining, road building and development.
He opened a studio in Denver in 1880 and, like Fielder, used his connections to garner some hefty promotion in the Rocky Mountain News. He also used his insight into what people wanted to look at to develop a clientele willing to pay for his work, which he published in a variety of sizes and formats. "As he plied on his artistic talent and built on each success, the W.H. Jackson Photo Co. imprint became synonymous with quality," Paddock writes in his essay. "Jackson grew into a prosperous businessman and a leading promoter of the West."
Eventually, Jackson sold his company and all of his negatives to the Detroit Photographic Company and became a full partner in the firm. He died in 1942; the Colorado Historical Society acquired the negatives in 1949.
The marketing parallels were "something I was conscious of," Paddock says with a laugh. "But I didn't want to overemphasize it, for a variety of reasons. I didn't want the pictures to be overwhelmed by the personalities -- although they probably are."
Fielder also is very aware that Jackson was out to make a profit as well as a pretty picture. And although he admits that his first goal is to "feed my family," he says his sales and marketing efforts will always take a backseat to his message about protecting and preserving Colorado's environment.
"If I can bring 10 percent to the bottom line, I'm doing well," he says. "But I'm not a profit-monger who's trying to milk this for every dime. I drew the line at placemats, mugs and T-shirts."
