Augusta and A.G. Wallihan Photography Exhibit

Augusta Higgins Farnham and Allen Grant Wallihan both came to Northwest Colorado in 1882 and were married in 1885. They settled in Lay where A.G. took the position of postmaster. Around 1889, at the urging and assistance of Augusta, A.G. began taking photos of the abundant local wildlife and soon established a reputation as pioneers in the unexplored field of wildlife photography. Previous to this wildlife photography was primarily staged due to the size of the cameras and difficulty processing the photos. Photographing wildlife required incredible patience and physical stamina. If they were fortunate, Augusta and A.G. might achieve one good photo a day.

They pursued their photographic endeavors with such excellence that they were invited to the Paris World Exposition of 1900 where they showcased their work to the 51 million people attending the exposition. They exhibited again in 1904, at the St. Louis World's Fair where they received a bronze medal. The Wallihans also published two widely circulated books featuring their photographs and which included forewords by Theodore Roosevelt, who was a frequent visitor and hunter to the area.

By the early 1900s the Wallihans’ activity in wildlife photography was waning, but they remained active in the Lay community until their deaths. Augusta passed in 1922, and A.G. passed in 1935. A.G. is one of the longest serving postmasters in in the history of the United States Postal Service.

Augusta and A.G. Wallihan Photography Exhibit. Craig, CO: Museum of Northwest Colorado.

Knowles, Paul. From the Museum Archives: The Wallihans — The world’s first wildlife photographers, Craig Press. July 16th 2019. Accessed September 19th 2020. https://www.craigdailypress.com/news/from-the-museum-archives-the-wallihans-the-worlds-first-wildlife-photographers/.