FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 25, 2024
CONTACT: Kevin Larsen, Media Coordinator, 605-773-0000, 

Kevin.Larsen@state.sd.us

150th Anniversary of W. H. Illingworth photographs of the Black Hills

PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota State Historical Society is commemorating the 150^th anniversary of the Black Hills photography of William H. Illingworth.

Illingworth studied the art of wet plate photography in both Chicago and Philadelphia, and he accompanied Captain James L. Fisk, as a photographer, in his expedition to Montana Territory in 1866. The Black Hills Expedition of 1874 was commanded by George Armstrong Custer. The U.S. 7^th Calvary left Fort Abraham Lincoln (North Dakota) on July 2, 1874, reached the Black Hills by late July 1874, and returned to the fort on August 30, 1874.

Illingworth produced roughly 70 glass plates featuring landscapes of the Black Hills and movements of the 7^th Cavalry. Several of the locations Illingworth photographed in the Black Hills are identified today.

The South Dakota State Historical Society acquired the glass plates in 1920. The glass plates, which Illingworth created and transported through the Black Hills, are held in the collections of the South Dakota State Archives. The Illingworth glass plates were scanned in 2015 and are available for viewing on the South Dakota Digital Archives.

Photo Caption: Column of wagons used by the U.S. 7^th Cavalry. Illingworth’s wagon, carrying his photography equipment and the glass plates, is shown near the center of the image. South Dakota State Historical Society (2015-11-23-301)

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About the South Dakota State Historical Society

The South Dakota State Historical Society is a division of the Department of Education. The State Historical Society, an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, is headquartered at two locations in Pierre. Administration, Press, Foundation, and Historic Preservation are in the Becker-Hansen Building. Museum and Archives are in the Northridge Plaza. For questions or memberships, call (605) 773-3458 or visit history.sd.gov for more information. The society also has an archaeology office in Rapid City; call (605) 394-1936 for more information.