This cellulose nitrate negative was taken by Oliver E. Aultman (1867-1953). In 1901, Aultman was hired by Frank H. Summeril (1866-1923), an entrepreneur from Denver, to photograph a steamboat journey along the Colorado River from Green River, Utah to Moab, Utah. Summeril intended to start a shipping business using the river route. The "Undine", Summeril’s steamboat, traveled down the Green River to its confluence with the Colorado, then up the Colorado to Moab, Utah, more than 180 river miles. Throughout the journey, Aultman recorded the passing landscape with both gelatin dry plate negatives and nitrate film negatives. On a second journey along the same route in 1902, Summeril crashed the "Undine", and the steamboat sank. Financially ruined, Summeril abandoned his shipping venture and never compensated Aultman for his work.
Taken from the deck of the "Undine", this image depicts cliffs along the bank of the river. Large sandstone rock formations rise from the sandy bank along the left side of the image.The river bank is reflected in the water. Inconsistencies in image tone appear in light image areas; this is likely due to hasty photographic processing. This negative was initially stored in an Eastman Negative album labeled "Colo Canyon." 54 other nitrate negatives from the journey were also stored in the the album. Aultman numbered each image and recorded where it was taken. The negatives were removed from their original sleeves at some point. It was not possible to match up the Aultman's notes with the corresponding negatives.
The Aultman Studio (Trinidad, Colo.) operated out of Trinidad from 1889-2000. Oliver E. Aultman founded the studio and was its chief photographer until his son, Glenn Aultman (1904-2000) took over the business in the early 1950's. Otis Aultman (1872-1942), Oliver's younger brother, also operated at photography studio in the Trinidad area from 1892-1907. Several of his images are included in the Aultman Studio collection. While the Aultmans mostly produced studio portraits of Trinidad's residents, they also shot images of landscapes, streets scenes, mining operations, buildings, and local events. This photograph is part the Aultman Studio collection (Ph.00500)