NEW YORK — Hans P. Kraus Jr. is pleased to present our fall exhibition Photographs from the Collection of William L. Schaeffer through 25 November 2026. On display are chiefly American works by Carleton E. Watkins, William Henry Jackson, John Moran, Timothy O’Sullivan, William Bell, and others from the renowned collection of pioneer fellow dealer William L. Schaeffer. Assembled over more than fifty years, Schaeffer’s collection includes outstanding examples of various photographic processes from the second half of the 19th century, including work by early masters and unknown practitioners of vernacular photography. The collection reflects Willie Schaeffer’s discriminating taste and comprehensive grasp of American history, which gave him his nickname, “The Guy with the Eye.” Schaeffer was celebrated last year with an extraordinary exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum, The American Century, curated by Jeff Rosenheim.
Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre (1787-1851) announced his daguerreotype process in 1839. Over the next decade, nearly every major community in the United States had daguerreotype studios producing mostly portraits. The complex procedures to make a daguerreotype were best carried out under the controlled conditions of the studio, largely because the subjects needed to be completely still. Nevertheless by 1850, daguerreotypists—many unknown—began to capture the American way of life in rural, urban and industrial scenes. The charming half-plate of a Gentleman in a sulky with his dog is equally noteworthy because, during the lengthy exposure, horse, dog and gentleman remain motionless. A prominent feature of Schaeffer’s collection is its astounding vernacular photographs. The circa 1890 toned silver print of a Monkey flying a kite represents one of the best of this genre.
Carleton Watkins (1829-1916) created an unparalleled visual legacy of the American West. His Yosemite photographs represent the largest group of photographs he made. He photographed in Yosemite Valley over a period of 30 years. This stunning mammoth plate print of the Washington Column was made under the auspices of the California State Geological Survey. The view looks northeast along the Merced River from a position near present day Ahwahnee Bridge. The reflection is of the Royal Arches adjacent to the Washington Column.
A Civil War veteran of the Union Army who had fought at Antietam and Gettysburg, William Bell (1830-1910) was appointed chief photographer of the Army Medical Museum in Washington, D.C. He set up a studio in Philadelphia and in 1872 was commissioned by Lieutenant George Wheeler, engineer of the fourth United States Geological Survey, to photograph an expedition into Arizona where he made his iconic albumen print, Perched Rock, Rocker Creek.
William Henry Jackson (1843-1942) was the official photographer for the Hayden Survey from 1870 to 1878, accompanying Hayden's team through Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming. When the Hayden Survey disbanded in 1879, Jackson continued to produce photographs privately. He built a large commercial practice, traveling to make views both on his own initiative and as commissions for the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. Jackson's photographs of the 1880s, such as this dramatic double mammoth plate view of Shoshone Falls on the Snake River, are extraordinarily accomplished. During his long life, Jackson became best known for his large-format western views, such as this and Minnehaha Falls, also on view.
Photographs from the Collection of William L. Schaeffer is on view at the gallery through 25 November 2026.