Tunnel number 3, Weber Canyon, Utah. Stereo-view by A. J. Russell. Courtesy of University of Iowa Libraries.

However they were viewed, these images were typically accompanied by narration—either written or spoken—that emphasized the triumphant expansion of Anglo-American culture through the commercial development of natural resources, building of railroads, purchase of individually-owned land, and establishment of local democratic institutions.

These photographs helped to change the public perception of the West from a romantic but dangerous place filled with “Indians on the warpath,” bandits, dangerous animals, and “Mormon avenging angels," to a civilized and settled place, with industry and unlimited economic potential, a safe place not only to visit but to settle down in.