Historical Photographs

These photographs were made Web-accessible in response to demands from the public and the media for historical photographs of USGS mappers at work. All photographs within this collection are public domain. No permission is required for use or reproduction and images may be downloaded at no charge. For any use made of a photograph, credit should be given to the individual photographer (where noted) and the U.S. Geological Survey.

1890 - 1924 Photos 1925 - 1953 Photos 1955 - 1993 Photos

circa 1955 Field crewman using a planetable and alidade to create a topographic map. Enlarge Image

circa 1960 Measuring angles with a Wild T2 theodolite. Location is probably somewhere in the Sierra Mountains circa 1960. The man on the far left is the helicopter pilot. The theodolite is centered over a triangulation station designated by a brass marker. Enlarge Image

circa 1960 Mapping field crew traveling in camp. Enlarge Image

circa 1960 Bill Campbell with a tellurometer used to measures distance by measuring the roundtrip travel time of reflected microwaves. Enlarge Image

circa 1960 Rod man. Enlarge Image

circa 1960 Mapping field crew traveling by pack train. Enlarge Image

circa 1960 Triangulating in the Cascades. Enlarge Image

circa 1961 A Johnson Elevation Meter mounted in a four-wheel-drive GMC Suburban 1960 model K1001 truck. The slope angle of the road was measured by a sensitive electronic pendulum, and the distance was measured by the fifth wheel. An onboard computer solved for the difference in elevation ten times per second. In areas of moderate relief with an adequate net of relatively smooth roads, these instruments were capable of establishing elevations within 2 feet while traveling at speeds approaching 30 miles per hour. Enlarge Image

1962 James N. Tennant, Pacific Area fieldman, measuring angles with a T2 theodolite on a helicopter survey in 1962. Photograph by William K. Kirsher. Enlarge Image

1962 Fieldman James N. Tennant with an electrotape on a helicopter survey in 1962. Enlarge Image

1962 Jim Tennant (with a T-2 theodolite) and assistant on a helicopter survey, 1962. The helicopter sits on a snowy peak in the background. Enlarge Image

1962 Helicopter landing. Enlarge Image

circa early 1960s Setting a triangulation station with a brass marker (also referred to as a tablet). Additional brass markers are visible beside the field crewman's boot. A tripod in the background is covered with fluorescent material so it can be easily spotted by a crew on another peak. Enlarge Image

circa 1965 Working at a triangulation station. Enlarge Image

circa late 1960s Operating an Electrotape. Electrotape was a trade name for a precise electronic surveying device that used microwaves to measure distance. The first commercial unit of this device was created in 1961. It yielded centimeter accuracy over distances from 100 meters to 40 kilometers, and in all weather conditions, day and night. Two units were needed, one to send the signal and the other to receive it. A brass triangulation station marker is visible directly below the Electrotape. The helicopter used for transport sits on a distant snow-covered peak. Enlarge Image

circa 1970 Topographer Don Knudsen. Enlarge Image

1984 Jamie Schubert identifying a mine on a photograph in Death Valley, California. Enlarge Image

1984 Helicopter photo reconnaissance in Saline Valley. Death Valley, California. Enlarge Image

1984 Jim Hanchett and Lyle Lindahl making an electronic distance measurement in a dry lake bed in Saline Valley. Death Valley, California. Enlarge Image

1984 Jim Hanchett using the Guppy in the Dunes of Saline Valley, Death Valley, California. Enlarge Image

1984 Jamie Schubert with plane table and alidade in the Alabama Hills near Mt. Whitney, California. Enlarge Image

1984 Jamie Schubert running a traverse in the Alabama Hills near Mt. Whitney, California. This mapping project covered some of the most rugged, inaccessible, and steepest terrain in the West. Jamie always carried two spare tires during the project, which didn't help much when she got four flats in one day. Enlarge Image

circa 1993 Mike Elliot with GPS receiver in Santa Cruz, California. Collecting position data for an orthophotograph. Enlarge Image

circa 1993 Dave Reed, Tom Coons, and Mike Elliot use a GPS receiver to obtain positioning data for an orthophotograph. Santa Cruz, California. Enlarge Image

circa 1993 Dave Reed, Tom Coons, and Mike Elliot use a GPS receiver to obtain positioning data for an orthophoto. Santa Cruz, California. Enlarge Image

1890 - 1924 Photos 1925 - 1953 Photos 1955 - 1993 Photos