Adam Clark Vroman Photographs

Collection

Identifier: PAAC-0028

Staff Only

Scope and Content

This collection is comprised primarily of Vroman’s documentation of Pueblo mission churches, although there are some additional southwestern images.

Dates

1895 - 1904

Creator

Vroman, A. C. (Adam Clark), 1856-1916 (Photographer, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open to researchers on an appointment basis. Contact the Photo Archivist to request to view original material.

Conditions Governing Use

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

Born in Illinois in 1856, Adam Clark Vroman moved to California in 1892. Vroman made his first trip to New Mexico in 1895 to document Native Americans, the landscape and the Southwest. Based in Pasadena, California, where he operated a book, photo supply and stationery store (which still operates today), Vroman would become one of the major photographers of the Southwest. Often with his friend Charles Lummis, the two traveled the Southwest documenting the lives of Pueblo and other Native American communities. His photographs of the Hopi, Zuni and other Pueblos have been praised for their relatively objective eye. Beaumont Newhall wrote of Vroman’s work, “He avoided the sentimental, the contrived, and the obvious. He photographed simply, directly, and sympathetically.” Vroman’s sensitive approach to the people, sites, and surroundings of the Southwest infuse his images with a power uncharacteristic of the age which make his photographs highly sought after by collectors.