Collection Timeline

1871 to 2026

1871
Powell's second expedition preparing to launch from Green River Station in 1871

1875
Line drawing of a Puebloan ruin from John Wesley Powell's 1875 book "Canyons of the Colorado"
Line drawing of a cliff dwelling from John Wesley Powell's 1875 book "Canyons of the Colorado"
Line drawing of a cliff dwelling from John Wesley Powell's 1875 book "Canyons of the Colorado"
Line drawing of a Puebloan ruin from John Wesley Powell's 1875 book "Canyons of the Colorado"
Powell talking to a Paiute man during one of his surveys

1889
Stanton Survey launching from Green River in 1889
Franklin Brown's inscripted memorial after his death in Soap Creek rapid

1890
Stanton Survey photograph
Powell’s map of the “Arid Region of the United States,” which he presented to the U.S. Senate in 1890

1897
Robert Brewster Stanton in a side canyon of Glen Canyon.

1899
Hole-in-the-Rock blasted wider by Robert Brewster Stanton's gold mining enterprise

1900
Robert Brewster Stanton's dredge in operation
Stanton's Dredge under construction

1901
Bucket line of Stanton's Dredge

1905
The New River, created by the Salton Sea Flood cuts through Mexicali, Mexico in 1905

1906
Salton Sea Flood

1909
Stuck on a sand bar in the Suan Juan River (mile 102), Spencer mining operations

1920
Bighorn sheep skulls

1921
Chisled steps at Hole-in-The-Rock
Humpback Chub

1934
Cross-bedding in Navajo sandstone on the plateau west of Escalante Canyon

1935
Byron Cummings at Rainbow Bridge on August 8th, 1935

1936
Photograph of Veteran's Bureau Records in Stack Areas

1937
Mud cracks

1940
Recovering Car from Quick Sand

1948
Dinosaur track
Navajo sheep herder

1950
Rainbow Bridge Expeditions brochure, circa 1950
Fragments of Glen Canyon

1951
Steps to Inscription House

1952
Hole-in-the-Rock blasted notch
Rainbow Bridge

1953
Tracks in sandstone
Tracks in sandstone

1954
Uranium mining at Lukachukais
Crossbedding and tafoni in sandstone
Car tracks across sandstone

1955
Petroglyphs at Smith Fork
Mud cracks
Ruins of mining cabin near Olympia Bar
Rock formations in Labyrinth Canyon
Ruins of mining machinery at Olympia Bar
Possible Crossing of the Fathers site
Sand bar at Crossing of the Fathers site
Rainbow Bridge from below.
California Bar caves
Lines of river levels in stabilized sand
Narrow passage through Labyrinth Canyon
California bar caves
The walls of Labyrinth Canyon
Hiking on Klondike Bar
Sculpted sand dunes
Animal petroglyph at Mystery Canyon
Lantern and sewing machine in California Bar caves
Aerial view of Rainbow Bridge
Aerial view of Rainbow Bridge

1956
Cliff dwelling in cave above Schock Bar
Labyrinth Canyon
Textured surfaces in Glen Canyon
Tafoni in Glen Canyon
Ripple laminae in Cottonwood Canyon
Ribbon Canyon
Steps of Schock Trail
Figure in Dungeon Canyon
Abandoned mining equipment at Stanton Dredge
Cliff dwelling near Schock Bar
Iceberg Canyon
Cliff wall surface in Glen Canyon
Petroglyphs
Inscriptions at Shock Bar
Looking down on a pool in Iceberg Canyon
Balanced rock and shadow
Cliff wall surface in Glen Canyon
Labyrinth Canyon

1957
Navajo sheep trail in West Canyon
Tailings from miners at Olympia Bar
Light and ripples on water
Silt volcano in Lake Mead
Petroglyphs
Seep in a canyon wall
Navajo Twins rock formation
Petroglyphs at Smith Fork
Balanced rock
Dwelling in Wishbone Canyon
Aerial view of the Mormon Trail
Potholes in sandstone
Potholes in sandstone, Glen Canyon
Shadows in Glen Canyon
Ferns in entrance to Balanced Rocks Canyon
Petroglyph of hunter with bow and arrow
Ferns in Grotto Canyon
Iceberg Canyon
Music Temple
Katie Lee, lying in a bed of rocks
Aerial view of Glen Canyon and Mystery (Anasazi) Canyon
Katie Lee in Glen Canyon
Katie Lee in Glen Canyon
Pool in Little Arch Canyon
Colorado River
Bridge Creek flowing over Navajo Sandstone bedrock
Aerial view of Colorado Plateau
Katie Lee in Glen Canyon
Katie Lee in Glen Canyon
Balanced rocks
Balanced rocks
Balanced rocks
Balanced rocks
Balanced rocks
Rock patterns at Navajo Bar
Great blue heron tracks

1958
Geological formations at base of Vermilion Cliffs in Marble Canyon area
Mud cracks
Pottery found in West Canyon
Glen Canyon Dam site
Tad Nichols sitting on rock steps at Crossing of the Fathers
Forbidding Canyon
Ancestral Puebloan loom holes
Ancestral Puebloan loom holes
Hikers wading up canyon
Laminae in Forbidding Canyon
Rainbow Bridge
Rainbow Bridge

1959
Entrance to Cathedral Canyon
Glen Canyon damsite aerial view, ca. 1959
Reflection of Rainbow Bridge in water below

1960
Tad Nichols in Dungeon Canyon
Cutting steps up Pick Axe Canyon
Date inscription in rock: 1933
Animal petroglyphs at mouth of Twilight Canyon
Burnt cottonwood tree in front of tapestry wall
Dessert blossoms
Stewart Udall in Bridge Canyon
Stewart Udall (Middle) in Glen Canyon
Betatakin Ruin
Glen Canyon Dam construction site
Glen Canyon Dam construction site
Glen Canyon Dam construction site
Glen Canyon Dam construction site
Glen Canyon Dam construction site
Glen Canyon Dam construction site
Glen Canyon Dam construction site
Glen Canyon Dam construction site
Granary at Stanton Canyon
Navajo Sandstone
Yucca blossoms in front of cliff wall
Yucca blossoms in front of cliff wall
Beaver dam in Glen Canyon
Eroding sand dune at Escalante River
Navajo sandstone crossbedding
Rectilinear petroglyph
Green algae
Balanced rocks in Glen Canyon
Tapestry wall in Glen Canyon
Construction of Glen Canyon Dam
Man chalking in petroglyphs
Potential coprolite specimen
Glen Canyon Dam construction site
Abandoned gold-mining equipment from Stanton's operation
Abandoned gold-mining equipment from Stanton's operation
Navajo marbles on Wild Horse Bar
Balanced rock
Sand painting on the Little Colorado River

1962
Vishnu Schist, polished by water, sand, and time
Old rock fireplace at Camp Stone
Moki steps at Mystery Canyon
Markings in the sand
Markings in the sand
Cliff face in Glen Canyon
Shore of Hall's Crossing
River and cliffs in Glen Canyon
Bighorn sheep tracks
Boulders, beach, and cliffs at Meskin Bar
Music Temple
Tracks in the sand
Tracks in the sand
Tracks in the sand

1963
Rising water about to cover Navajo sheep trail
Petroglyphs on varnished wall
Glen Canyon Dam under construction
Shore birds at Lake Powell
Pocket caves in Driftwood Canyon
Beaver dam at Moqui Canyon
Aerial view of upper Glen Canyon

1964
Crossbedding in sedimentary rock
Navajo sandstone, cave ceiling
Water running through potholes
Seep patterns on a canyon wall
Stone ruins at California Bar
Boat among swirled rock
Alonzo Tuner's tombstone at California Bar
Crossbedding in sedimentary rock
Grave at California Bar
Inscriptions at Hite
Cross-bedding in sedimentary sandstone
Dune slumping into lake
Glen Canyon land formations

1965
Lake Powell, from a 1965 Bureau of Reclamation Brochure titled "Lake Powell, Jewel of the Colorado"
Pictures and poem of Lake Powell, from a 1965 Bureau of Reclamation Brochure titled "Lake Powell, Jewel of the Colorado"
Description of the future of Lake Powell, from a 1965 Bureau of Reclamation Brochure titled "Lake Powell, Jewel of the Colorado"
Description of the future of Lake Powell continued, from a 1965 Bureau of Reclamation Brochure titled "Lake Powell, Jewel of the Colorado"
Lake Powell "Totem Pole," from the back cover of a 1965 Bureau of Reclamation Brochure titled "Lake Powell, Jewel of the Colorado"
Lake Powell, from a 1965 Bureau of Reclamation Brochure titled "Lake Powell, Jewel of the Colorado"
Picture and poem of Lake Powell, from a 1965 Bureau of Reclamation Brochure titled "Lake Powell, Jewel of the Colorado"
Description of Lake Powell, from a 1965 Bureau of Reclamation Brochure titled "Lake Powell, Jewel of the Colorado"
Description of Lake Powell continued, from a 1965 Bureau of Reclamation Brochure titled "Lake Powell, Jewel of the Colorado"
Lake Powell, from a 1965 Bureau of Reclamation Brochure titled "Lake Powell, Jewel of the Colorado"
Lake Powell, from a 1965 Bureau of Reclamation Brochure titled "Lake Powell, Jewel of the Colorado"
Lake Powell, from a 1965 Bureau of Reclamation Brochure titled "Lake Powell, Jewel of the Colorado"
Poem about the muddy Colorado River, from a 1965 Bureau of Reclamation Brochure titled "Lake Powell, Jewel of the Colorado"
Poem about the now blue Colorado River, from a 1965 Bureau of Reclamation Brochure titled "Lake Powell, Jewel of the Colorado"
Description of plans for Glen Canyon Dam, from a 1965 Bureau of Reclamation Brochure titled "Lake Powell, Jewel of the Colorado"
Picture and poem of Glen Canyon Dam, from a 1965 Bureau of Reclamation Brochure titled "Lake Powell, Jewel of the Colorado"
Picture and poem of Glen Canyon Dam, from a 1965 Bureau of Reclamation Brochure titled "Lake Powell, Jewel of the Colorado"
Lake Powell, Jewel of the Colorado Brochure
Description of the Glen Canyon Dam, from a 1965 Bureau of Reclamation Brochure titled "Lake Powell, Jewel of the Colorado"
Microbial varnish and streambed vegetation in the canyon leading to Cathedral in the Desert
Description of the Colorado River from a 1965 Bureau of Reclamation Brochure titled "Lake Powell, Jewel of the Colorado"
Lake water rising in Forgotten Canyon
Lake Powell, Jewel of the Colorado Brochure (Cover)

1966
Woman with pictographs
Forgotten Canyon

1967
Powell's inscription carved at Music Temple in 1871
Rainbow Bridge Boat trips brochure
Sandslide at Lee's Ferry

1968
Rising lake waters nearly cover Gregory Bridge
Curved ridges on cliff wall

1969
Stones and grasses on the shores of Lake Powell
Cliff dwelling stone wall
Ripples in mud
Tad Nichols in Upper Cathedral Canyon
Ruin in Moqui Canyon
Georgia O'Keefe selecting stones on the shores of Lake Powell
Woman wading near the shore of Lake Powell
Photographer Tad Nichols on his back in Glen Canyon sand

1970
Sightseeing boat visiting Rainbow Bridge

1971
Vishnu Schist
Pedestal rock formation near Willow Creek
Mud curls

1972
Circular mud cracks

1973
Mud cracks
Glen Canyon wall
Sand Bees
Flooding Little Colorado River
Caterpiller in sand
Water and light

1975
Leg of Rainbow Bridge
Visitors touching stone in Redbud Pass

1976
Mud bank erosion
Steps near Hole-in-the-Rock
Lichen on a sandstone wall
Mudstone erosion
Teton Dam Flood

1977
Tad Nichols collects water from a cliffside spring

1980
Circular patterns in the sand

1983
Land formations in Glen Canyon
Tad Nichols compares his hand with prints on a cliff wall
Hand prints on cliff wall
Hand prints on cliff wall
Liesegang rings
Engineers nail plywood to the top of Glen Canyon Dam's spillways to prevent the lake from overtopping the dam in 1983

2014
Colorado River Delta

2015
Glen Canyon Dam
Glen Canyon Dam

2021
Grand Canyon from the North Rim
Scorched trees from the Pinal Mountain fire of 2017

2025
Ruins of the Teton Dam
Teton Dam pipes
Teton Dam ruins
Ruined abutment of the Teton Dam
Mineral-stained rock formations in Wahweap Bay
Entrance to Antelope Canyon
Glen Canyon Dam
Glen Canyon Dam in December 2025
Mineral-stained rock formations in Wahweap Bay
Tourists examining the sediment beds at Lone Rock
Lake Powell disappearing at Lone Rock Beach
Houseboat towed from an emptying Wahweap Marina
Sandstone laminations
Mineral crusts flaking off after Lake Powell recedes
Twin Warriors
Rock formations, reexposed and spotted with mineral crusts from Lake Powell
Mineral deposits flaking off after Lake Powell recedes
Engravings in rock formations above the Glen Canyon Dam
Chains tethering buoys at the Glen Canyon Dam
Mineral-stained rock formations in Wahweap Bay
Bleached rock at the Glen Canyon Dam
Ironized rock striations, reexposed and flecked with mineral crust from Lake Powell
Floating dock at Lake Powell Resort
Bleached cliffs at the confluence of Antelope Creek and the Colorado River
Tourist boat ride through Wahweap Bay
Bleached cliffs at the confluence of Antelope Creek and the Colorado River
Laminated rock formations, mineral deposits peeling away
Reexposed rock formations, speckled with mineral deposits from Lake Powell
Patches of calcium crust on reemerged rock formations
Previously submerged rock formations with remnant mineral scaling
Bleached rocks reemerging out of Lake Powell
Recycling container at Lake Powell Resort calls for water conservation
Bleached cliffs at Lake Powell
Anchor chain for boats in Lake Powell's dry bed
American Coots gather in a cove at Lake Powell
A shrinking cove below Lake Powell Resort
Pathway to boat dock empties into Lake Powell's dry bed
Sediment beds at the edge of a shrinking Lake Powell
Lake Powell Resort standing high above Lake Powell's dry bed
Kayaking down the Colorado River, just below Glen Canyon Dam
Rock formations and grassy hillside below Glen Canyon Dam
Paria River Riffle, the first rapids after Glen Canyon Dam
Waterhole Canyon, a tributary of Glen Canyon, below the Glen Canyon Dam
Waterhole Canyon, a tributary of Glen Canyon, below the Glen Canyon Dam
The Colorado River below the Glen Canyon Dam
Sandstone reflected in water
Sheep petroglyphs at Petroglyph Beach
The Colorado River, below Glen Canyon Dam
Waterhole Canyon, a tributary of Glen Canyon, below the Glen Canyon Dam
Petroglyphs at Petroglyph Beach
Boating up a slow-moving Colorado River from Lee's Ferry
Waterhole Canyon, a tributary of Glen Canyon, below the Glen Canyon Dam
Waterhole Canyon, a tributary of Glen Canyon, below the Glen Canyon Dam
Reemerged rock formations with mineral crust
Kayaking down the Colorado River, just below Glen Canyon Dam
Kayaking down the Colorado River, just below Glen Canyon Dam
The Colorado River from Navajo Bridge
Sheep petroglyphs at Petroglyph Beach
Grassy shores on the Colorado River, below the Glen Canyon Dam
Sheep petroglyphs at Petroglyph Beach
Kayaking down the Colorado River, just below Glen Canyon Dam
Paria River Riffle, the first rapids after Glen Canyon Dam
Antelope Canyon
A clear blue Colorado River, below Glen Canyon Dam
The Colorado River below the Glen Canyon Dam
Remnants of Lake Powell at Lone Rock
Tire tracks in Lake Powell's dry sediment beds at Lone Rock
Microbial blooms in a mucky cove at Lone Rock
Remains of Lake Powell at Lone Rock
Lake Powell's dry sediment beds at Lone Rock
Glen Canyon Dam and bleached cliffs
Bleached cliffs at the confluence of Antelope Creek and the Colorado River
Dry sediment beds of Lake Powell
Organic sludge oozing up out of Lake Powell's muck
Houseboat in a parking lot at Waheap Marina
Bacterial blooms and muck at Lone Rock
Vehicle tracks across Lake Powell's dry bed, heading to Lone Rock
Houseboats in a parking lot near Wahweap Marina
Bacterial blooms and muck at Lone Rock
Pawprints and plants growing in mudcracks, Lone Rock Beach
Lone Rock, bleached white with mineral deposits
Mucky remains of Lake Powell at Lone Rock
Deep sand at Lone Rock
Plants regrowing in a re-emerged rock hollow
Bleached rock formations at Lake Powell
Canyon King floating restaurant, now New York Teriyaki in Page, AZ
the Colorado River and a grassy sandbar immediately below Glen Canyon Dam

2026
Lone Rock Beach, Pictoral View
Lone Rock Beach Satellite View