Charles Doolittle Walcott (1850-1927) family campsite in the Canadian Rockies

Description: Collecting trips for Charles Doolittle Walcott (1850-1927), paleontologist and fourth Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, were often a family affair. This 1910 photograph shows their campsite in the Canadian Rockies. Shown are (left to right) Mrs. Burling, Dr. Lancaster Burling, son Benjamin Stuart Walcott (1895-1917), guide Otto, wife Helena Stevens Walcott (d. 1911), and daughter Helen Breese Walcott (1894-1965), peering from behind Helena Walcott.

Creator/Photographer: Charles Walcott
Death Date: 1927

Charles Doolittle Walcott's long career in scientific research and government service was distinguished by his accomplishments in the fields of paleontology and geology. In 1894 he was appointed director of the U.S. Geological Survey, a post he filled while simultaneously serving as the Smithsonian Institution's assistant secretary. In 1907 Walcott became the fourth Secretary of the Smithsonian, a position he held for twenty years until his death in 1927. Throughout his government appointments Walcott continued to conduct scientific research on fossil formations. He began using photography as a research aid in 1885 and by 1891 was creating panoramic photographs to enhance his work.

Medium: Black and white photographic print

Date: 1910

Persistent URL: photography.si.edu/SearchImage.aspx?id=5809

Repository: Smithsonian Institution Archives

Accession number: SIA2008-1903

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