The Whithorn Collection: New Archives at the Yellowstone Gateway Museum

Doris and Bill Whithorn spent nearly 50 years compiling the oral, written and photographic history of Park County, Yellowstone Park and the surrounding areas. While Doris collected stories from the past, her husband archived historical photos from local residents’ archives by creating high-quality photo and print reproductions with a Hasselblad camera.

Over the course of writing, compiling, and producing over 20 books on the subject of area history, the Whithorns amassed a collection of nearly 8,000 images. The Whithorn’s photographic records, along with oral and written histories, negatives and video, were donated to the Yellowstone Gateway Museum by the Whithorn’s daughters Alta and Carol in the fall of 2006.

Over the next two years, the Livingston Weekly will be working with the Yellowstone Gateway Museum to publish periodical “sneak peeks” at the historic collection of Bill and Doris Whithorn as the newly-acquired archives are cataloged. According to museum cataloger Jon Watson, over 100 images have already been processed and catalogued by museum staff and volunteers over the past month.

The notable shots picked by the museum staff for this week's print edition are only a hint of what is yet to be discovered and preserved for future generations. If anyone is able to identify persons in the group shot at the Depot above or in the Buffalo Bill shot below, please contact the Gateway museum at (406) 222-4184.

Pictured above in the shot at the Livingston Depot: a group assembled in front of the historic landmark circa 1933. Below from left, Chittenden's Bridge, a concrete bridge over the Yellowstone River from around 1912; the last group of wolf cubs captured in Yellowstone Park circa 1922; an orginal print photograph of Buffalo Bill Cody hiring cowboys for his Wild West Show, location unknown but dated July 4, 1887; and President Theodore Roosevelt in a sleigh near Fort Yellowstone April 17, 1903. Click on thumbnails below for larger version of print or see the complete series of Whithorn collection high-quality reprints in the newest edition of Livingston Weekly.