Dates

• Existence: 1853 - 1921

Biographical History

F. Jay Haynes (1853-1921) was a photographer, publisher and entrepreneur who documented through photographs the northwestern landscape of the United States as official photographer of the Northern Pacific Railway and of Yellowstone National Park.

Frank Jay Haynes was born on October 28, 1853 in Saline, Washtenaw, Michigan to Levi Hasbrouck Haynes and Caroline R. Oliphant. As a boy, he became interested in photography. His first studio, Haynes Studio, was established in Moorhead, Minnesota in December 1876. In the fall of 1879, he closed his Moorhead studio and moved to Fargo, North Dakota. Throughout his career, Haynes provided the North Pacific Railroad with free photographs for their publicity purposes and the railroad provided him with free passage. In 1885, Haynes bought a Pullman Car from the Northern Pacific Railroad and had it refitted as a photographic studio. He operated the car successfully between 1885 and 1905. He thoroughly covered the Northern Pacific Railroad 's facilities such as bridges, yards, rolling stock, and company buildings, and they used his images in their advertising brochures. In 1891 the Puget Sound & Alaska Steamship Co. commissioned Haynes to photograph the sea journey from Tacoma, Washington, to Glacier Bay, Alaska.

Haynes first went to Yellowstone National in September 1881, and returned to Yellowstone every year after 1881 until his death in 1921. In the first two months in the park, he was able to visit all the major attractions and take over 200 photographs. In May 1883, he was made the official photographer for President Chester A. Arthur’s trip through Yellowstone. The Secretary of the Interior of Yellowstone National Park granted Haynes a lease for a small photographic studio within the park. In December 1886, Haynes went on a winter tour through Yellowstone and returned with 42 photographs of Yellowstone in the middle of winter, the first ever taken during that time of year.

Haynes married Lily Verna Snyder in Ripon Wisconsin in January 1878. They had one daughter, Bessie Loa, and two sons, George O. and Jack Ellis. Jack Ellis Haynes later inherited his father’s business in Yellowstone in 1916 and continued as official park photographer until his death in 1962. F. Jay Haynes died on March 10, 1921 in Saint Paul, Ramsey, Minnesota. His photographs were widely published in articles, journals, and books. He took 2,400 stereo-views of the northwest, covering from Minnesota to Oregon. A pillar from the Golden Gate Canyon was delivered from Yellowstone to mark his gravesite and commemorate his devotion to the park. Overlooking the West Entrance to Yellowstone is an 8,235-foot peak in the Madison River Canyon named Mount Haynes after F. Jay Haynes.

Citation:

Wikipedia, via WWW, July 5, 2017 (a professional photographer, publisher and entrepreneur from Minnesota; documented through photographs the early history of the great Northwest; official photographer of the Northern Pacific Railway and of Yellowstone National Park; photographs were widely published in articles, journals, books; as a boy, became interested in photography; in January 1878 married Lily Snyder in Ripon, Wisconsin; daughter, Bessie Loa; two sons, George and Jack Ellis; Jack Ellis Haynes inherited his father's business in Yellowstone in 1916 and continued as official park photographer until his death in 1962; first Haynes Studio was established in Moorhead, Minnesota in December 1876; in the fall of 1879, closed his Moorhead studio and moved to Fargo, North Dakota; in 1885, bought a Pullman Car from the Northern Pacific Railroad and had it refitted as a photographic studio; operated the car successfully between 1885 and 1905; provided the North Pacific Railroad with free photographs for their publicity purposes and the railroad provided F. Jay with a free pass; Haynes first went to Yellowstone in September 1881; the Secretary of the Interior of Yellowstone National Park granted Haynes a lease for a small photographic studio within the park; in the first two months in the park, he was able to visit all the major attractions and take over 200 photographs; returned to Yellowstone every year after 1881 until his death in 1921; in May 1883, was the official photographer for President Chester A. Arthur’s trip through Yellowstone; in December 1886, Haynes went on a winter tour through Yellowstone and returned with 42 photographs of Yellowstone in the middle of winter, the first ever taken during that time of year).

Ancestry, via WWW, July 5, 2017 (father was Levi Hasbrouck Haynes; mother was Caroline R. Oliphant; b. October 28, 1853 in Saline, Washtenaw, Michigan; d. March 10, 1921 in Saint Paul, Ramsey, Minnesota; wife Lily Verna Haynes; children Jack Ellis and George O.)

Find a Grave, via WWW, July 5, 2017 (a pillar from the Golden Gate Canyon was delivered from Yellowstone to mark his gravesite and commemorate his devotion to the park; overlooking the West Entrance to Yellowstone is an 8,235-foot peak in the Madison River Canyon named Mount Haynes).

The Yellowstone Stereoview Page, via WWW, July 5, 2017 (2,400 stereo-views of the northwest, covering from Minnesota to Oregon; thoroughly covered the Northern Pacific Railroad 's facilities such as bridges, yards, rolling stock, and company buildings, and they used his images in their advertising brochures; in 1891 the Puget Sound & Alaska Steamship Co. commissioned Haynes to photograph the sea journey from Tacoma, Washington, to Glacier Bay, Alaska).

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