Biographical/Historical:

Harold (Hal) E. Malde (1923-2007) began his career with the USGS (United States Geological Survey) in 1951 performing the geologic studies of the western Snake River Plain of Idaho. In 1964 Hal Malde began a 10 year investigation, with a team from Harvard, into Early Man sites in the Puebla Valley of Mexico. While developing the geologic maps to this project he gained specialized knowledge of volcanic deposits. His studies of basaltic lava flows were used by Allan Cox to develop the theory of plate tectonics. Additionally, Hal Malde received the Kirk Bryan Award by the Geologic Society of America for helping with the discovery of the late Pleistocene Bonneville Flood. As an active environmentalist, Malde represented the USGS on the Departments of Oil Shale Environmental Advisory Panel from 1976 until 1980. For his efforts he was awarded the Meritorious Service Award by the US Department of Interior in 1979. Malde participated on the committee of the National Academy of Sciences writing several reports on the impacts of surface mining. In 2000, Hal Malde produced two (single copy) reports for Chaco Culture National Historical Park entitled "Repeat Photography at Chaco Canyon Based on Photographs Made During the 1896-1899 Hyde Expedition and in the 1970s" and "Repeat Photography at Chaco Canyon NHP Based on Photographs Made in the 1930s, 1970s and the Year 2000."

Repeat photography is the practice of finding the site of an earlier photograph, reoccupying the original camera position and making a new photograph of the same subject, preferably at the same time of day and the same time of year. The object is to make a matched pair of photographs so as to compare large and small features, thus demonstrating possible geomorphic and biologic changes over time.

Hal Malde retired from the Survey in 1987 and devoted himself to his photography and love for nature. He was an enthusiastic supporter of The Nature Conservancy and after retirement, embarked on a two-decade journey to document preserves around the country through photographs. He logged as many as 14,000 miles a year, visiting 650 preserves in the process-- more than any other person. He provided over 20,000 images to the Nature Conservancy and was awarded the Conservancy’s Oak Leaf Award in 1993 for his volunteer service.