L.A. Huffman (1835-1931), an immensely influential and historically important frontier photographer of the American West, documented Montana's cowboys, ranchers, landscapes and native populations in their natural states. The previously unknown image shows a group of men who may be in the business of mining. The group stands in front of a pair of small shacks and a Model T dating the image to between 1908 and Huffman's death in 1931. Mining became a booming industry in Montana following the discovery of gold in 1864. The competition for control of the mines was won when Marcus Daly created the Amalgamated Copper Mining Company with William Rockefeller, Henry H. Rogers, and Thomas W. Lawson. Huffman has the uncanny knack of photographing subjects that define a time and place, and this hand colored image is just such an image. Measuring 6 1/2 inches by 9 1/2 inches, the print is lightly hand colored and is unmarked besides "c L.A. Huffman" in the lower left corner. Provenance: The John Fox Collection

Excellent with a clear image and vivid coloration.