Biography of Elsa Spear Byron
1896-1992

Born in Big Horn, Wyoming in 1896, Elsa was an active photographer and historian. A member of one of Wyoming's pioneer families, she spent most of her life on the ranches of the Spear Brothers Cattle Company in Wyoming and Montana. Her father, Willis M. Spear, would take her around to all the local historic sites and tell her the stories and lore of the region.

Elsa's photographic career began about 1903-1904 when she helped her mother make photographic prints. Her mother, Virginia Benton Spear, may have gotten her camera at the 1898 Omaha Exposition and took numerous pictures of ranch life and celebrations around Sheridan, Wyoming. Although Elsa didn't take any pictures, she vividly remembers developing prints by sunlight or with a kerosene lamp. She began to make her own "films" at the age of 12 when she received her first camera on Christmas Day in 1908.

Elsa recalled her first photographic trip to the Crow Reservation in 1911. "Crow Indians were having a fair, and I went with my brother Phil and several of our cowboys to the camp to see their parade. We rode around the Indian camp watching different groups congregate. (They) had such beautiful outfits, all beaded and trimmed with elk teeth." She later carried a speed graphic camera on her horse in the nose bag fastened to the saddle horn and another smaller camera in the saddle bag. She couldn't resist taking pictures, often from her horse, of the activities, clothing and people.

For more information, write to:
Photo-Archives
Museum of the Rockies
600 West Kagy Blvd.
Bozeman, MT 59717-2730

© 2003 Museum of the Rockies
Last Updated 7/29/2004

Steven B. Jackson
Curator of Art and Photography
Phone: (406)994-5280
Email:
sjackson@montana.edu