Henry T. Hiester and Melander Brothers Photographs

Collection

Identifier: PAAC-0026

Staff Only

Scope and Content

This collection of work by Hiester and other photographers includes work proofs and glass wet-plate negatives but is comprised mostly of stereoscopic views of New Mexico scenes, Pueblos, and portraits of Native Americans. Many of these images have not been seen or used in the photo archives prior to the compilation of this finding aid in May of 2010, although there are some duplicates by Nicholas Brown, Melander Brothers and others.

Due to the lack of accession records or inventory regarding the Museum of New Mexico purchase of the 1966 Melander Collection (which included some Hiester glass negatives), any unidentified items in this collection will be given the negative number of PAAC0026.1, .2 etc. (formerly PAC026.1, etc.). This will designate those items either not identified as Hiester or Melander but part of this assembled collection. The Melander collection includes work by Lewis and Silas Melander, Melander Bros., Melander & Copelin, Melander & Henderson, and Melander & Son.

Dates

1873 - 1878

Creator

Heister, H. T. (Henry T.), -1895 (Person)

Access Restrictions

Collection is open to researchers on a request basis only, pending approval of request to view original material.

Copy Restrictions

User responsible for all copyright compliance. Permission to publish must be obtained from Photo Archives. Form to request permission available at: https://www.nmhistorymuseum.org/collections/photo-archives/order-photos

Biographical Information

Henry T. Hiester (interchangeably spelled Heister) probably came to Santa Fe in summer of 1871 from Iowa or Texas at the invitation of Dr. Enos Andrews to replace photographer Nicholas Brown. It is thought he brought the first solar camera to New Mexico for making life-size enlargements, generally having them painted by John D. Howland, a Santa Fe artist. The main body of his known work is stereo views of the length of the Rio Grande Basin in New Mexico and Arizona and the Navajo Reservation area. Hiester made a boat trip down the Rio Grande with Howland in the summer of 1874 and both opened studios in Mesilla, near present day Las Cruces. Hiester evidently worked as an interpreter to the Mescalero Apaches in 1875. He returned to Santa Fe before working in Northeastern Arizona. He was last documented as returning to Santa Fe in 1878. The collection was donated to the photo archives by his nephew Paul Hiester in 1974. Some original Hiester negatives came to the archive as part of the 1966 Melander Collection purchase.

Extent

1 linear foot

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift, the Hiester Family; Purchase, Nina L. Ness

Collection Available Online

The Henry T. Hiester/Melander Collection is available at New Mexico's Digital Collections

Separated Material

The Melander and Hiester glass negatives are housed in a negative room cabinet in numerical order. All of these glass negatives have been scanned and can be viewed online at: http://econtent.unm.edu/cdm4/indexpg.php