Art Work of St. Croix and Mississippi Valley from Stillwater, Minn., to La Crosse, Wis. / Art Photogravure Co., 1899.

Art Work of Valley of the Mississippi from La Crosse, Wisconsin to Keokuk, Iowa / Art Photogravure Co., 1899.

Originally published in multi-part sets, these two works feature exquisitely crisp, 19th century, artistic, black and white photographs that showcase picturesque views along the Mississippi river and its tributaries from Minnesota to Iowa. Many of these sites have changed physically since they were taken so these photos document an earlier environment.

Great Lake Maritime Project

The state of Wisconsin has a proud and colorful history. One of its richest and most romantic chapters is its maritime history, staged on the waters of Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, on hundreds of smaller lakes and a whole network of rivers. Much of that fascinating story has been captured in photography and art and this material brings to the public eye some of its highlights.

Souvenir Views of the Upper Mississippi, Issued in Honor of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition at St. Louis, 1904, copyrighted by the Nelson Art Studio, Dubuque, Iowa.

This souvenir pamphlet contains 25 black and white, half-tone photographs, each measuring 5” x 7.” The photographs were taken from a steamboat and capture river towns and picturesque scenes along the length of the Mississippi River from St. Paul, Minnesota to Dubuque, Iowa.

Story of the Mississippi River / Albert Bushnell Hart (The Mentor, September 16, 1918)