Description

What is this print?

This is a limited-edition reproduction of “Scotts Bluff,” a watercolor William Henry Jackson painted in 1937. The scene shows a wagon train of ox-drawn prairie schooners crossing Mitchell Pass, the narrow gap through Scotts Bluff that became the main Oregon Trail route after 1851. The original watercolor is held in the Oregon Trail Museum at Scotts Bluff National Monument, which houses the largest collection of William Henry Jackson works in the world: roughly 1,200 paintings, sketches, photographs, and personal items, with about 60 watercolors at the core of the collection.

The print is produced in partnership between BHPFA and Scotts Bluff National Monument. The edition is limited to 200 hand-numbered prints. Each one comes with a Letter of Authenticity. The print is only available through BHPFA, in the park store at Scotts Bluff and online here.

Half of the proceeds from every print sold go directly to the care, digitization, and protection of the William Henry Jackson Collection at Scotts Bluff National Monument. That work keeps the originals viewable, archives them at high resolution, and supports the conservation of the watercolors and sketches.

About the painting

Jackson made the painting in 1937, when he was 94 years old. He was painting from memory, and from his own pencil sketches and photographs collected over a lifetime. The scene he chose is one he saw firsthand. In 1866, at 23, Jackson signed on as a bullwhacker (an ox-train driver) and walked west along the Oregon Trail, sketching as he went. Mitchell Pass at Scotts Bluff was one of the major landmarks travelers used to mark the journey through the western plains.

By the 1930s Jackson was best known as a photographer. He had made the first photographs of Yellowstone, the Tetons, and Mesa Verde, and his Yellowstone images had helped convince Congress to establish the first national park in 1872. The watercolors from his nineties are a quieter body of work. He produced them in part to illustrate books on the American West, working from memory of scenes he had documented decades earlier with camera and pencil.

About the location depicted

Scotts Bluff rises about 800 feet above the North Platte River valley in the western Nebraska panhandle. For overland travelers on the Oregon Trail, the California Trail, and the Mormon Trail, the bluff was a landmark visible from a day’s ride east, marking the approach to the Wyoming high plains. Mitchell Pass, the gap Jackson painted, became the standard wagon route after 1851. The trail wagon ruts cut through the pass are still visible at the monument today.

Scotts Bluff was established as a national monument in 1919.

Specifications

• Print dimensions: 16″ x 20″
• Packaged dimensions: 27″ x 20″ x 3″ (ships flat in a rigid mailer)
• Weight: 15 oz (packaged)
• Print type: Fine art reproduction on archival paper
• Edition: Limited to 200 hand-numbered prints, each with a Letter of Authenticity
• Original artwork: “Scotts Bluff,” watercolor on paper, 1937, by William Henry Jackson (1843-1942)
• Original location: Oregon Trail Museum, Scotts Bluff National Monument, Gering NE
• Publisher: Black Hills Parks & Forests Association, in partnership with Scotts Bluff National Monument
• Sold unframed

Who is this for?

People who want a piece of authentic Oregon Trail history on the wall, not a generic Western print. The painting is by one of the most important figures in American Western art and photography, and the scene was painted by a man who walked the route himself at 23 and remembered it well enough to paint it at 94.

It works as a gift for someone with a family connection to the trails, a history teacher, a Nebraska or Western American history enthusiast, or anyone who has visited Scotts Bluff National Monument and wants to bring a piece of it home.

The 16″ x 20″ format fits a standard frame size. Standard 16×20 frames are widely available and reasonably priced. The print ships unframed.

About the William Henry Jackson Collection at Scotts Bluff

The Oregon Trail Museum at Scotts Bluff National Monument holds the largest collection of William Henry Jackson works in the world, donated and built up over decades. The collection includes about 60 watercolors, three albums totaling around 200 pencil sketches, 500 photographs, glass plate negatives, and personal memorabilia. A dedicated Jackson Memorial Wing was added to the museum in 1949.

The conservation, digitization, and exhibition of these works requires ongoing funding. Half the proceeds from each print sold here go directly into that work. Buying the print is one of the most direct ways to support the collection.

Frequently asked questions

Who was William Henry Jackson?
William Henry Jackson (1843-1942) was an American photographer, painter, and Civil War veteran best known for his early photographs of the American West. His 1871 photographs of Yellowstone helped persuade Congress to establish Yellowstone as the first national park in 1872. Late in life he turned to watercolor and produced a series of paintings of trail-era scenes he had witnessed firsthand decades earlier.

What does the painting show?
A wagon train of ox-drawn prairie schooners crossing Mitchell Pass, the natural gap through Scotts Bluff that the Oregon Trail used after 1851. It’s a working-trail scene, not a heroic monument scene.

When did Jackson paint this?
1937. He was 94 years old. He was painting from memory and from his own pencil sketches of the same route, which he traveled at age 23 in 1866 as an ox-train driver on the Oregon Trail.

Where is the original painting?
In the Oregon Trail Museum at Scotts Bluff National Monument in Gering, Nebraska. It’s part of the largest collection of William Henry Jackson works in the world, about 1,200 items.

Is this print signed?
The print is hand-numbered (each one shows its number in the edition of 200) and comes with a Letter of Authenticity. The original watercolor includes Jackson’s signature, which is reproduced as part of the image. There is no additional contemporary signature.

What size is it? Does it fit a standard frame?
The print is 16″ x 20″, a standard frame size. Frames in this size are widely available at home goods and craft stores. The print ships flat and unframed in a rigid mailer.

How many are left in the edition?
The edition is limited to 200 hand-numbered prints, total. As of listing, the print is in stock. Once the edition sells through, no more will be produced. Call the Scotts Bluff park store for current count if you want to ask about a specific number.

Does buying this support Scotts Bluff National Monument?
Yes, directly. Half of the proceeds from each print go to the care, digitization, and protection of the William Henry Jackson Collection at Scotts Bluff National Monument. The remainder supports BHPFA’s general work as the nonprofit partner of Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Scotts Bluff National Monument, and Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, as well as the Black Hills National Forest and Nebraska National Forests & Grasslands.

Where can I see the original painting in person?
The Oregon Trail Museum at Scotts Bluff National Monument, 190276 Old Oregon Trail, Gering NE 69341. The museum is part of the monument’s visitor center. Check nps.gov/scbl for current hours.