Lora Webb Nichols: Photographs Made, Photographs Collected, 1988-1935

The Reese Bullen Gallery at Cal Poly Humboldt campus showcases an exhibition curated by Professor and Art + Film Department Chair Nicole Jean Hill. Through research and collaborative preservation with the archive located in Wyoming, the exhibition features works by photographer Lora Webb Nichols (1883-1962) who created and collected approximately 24,000 negatives over the course of her lifetime in the mining town of Encampment. The images chronicle the domestic, social, and economic aspects of the sparsely populated frontier of south-central Wyoming. Given the period of time the collection spans, the isolation of the Encampment community, and Lora Webb Nichols’ gender, this collection of images is unparalleled in its historical significance and visual storytelling. Photography enthusiasts and historians are encouraged to explore more of Lora’s photographs and writings online through the American Heritage Center (Laramie, Wyoming) or in person at the Grand Encampment Museum.