Walter S. Bowman
Born in Pendleton in about 1862, Walter S. Bowman spent his entire life near that city. Beginning as an itinerant photographer, he soon established himself as Pendleton's "Leading Photographer and View Artist", according to an 1898 advertisement.
Self-taught, Bowman developed his first negative in 1885, and began his career with an ordinary amateur outfit and a 5x7 camera. He opened his first studio in 1887 in a cheap frame building at the end of the bridge over the Pendleton River, and remained in that location, eventually building a new concrete block structure with blocks he cast himself.
After his death in a car crash on an icy highway east of town in 1938, the Oregonian wrote, "During the early part of the century Bowman was one of the outstanding photographers of eastern Oregon. He had retired in recent years from active work. He was especially well known for his outstanding action pictures of the Pendleton Round-up."
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A Very Small Boy, with a Prosthetic Hand - 1890s
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This early Bowman portrait features a very small Native American boy with a prosthetic hand, standing on a wicker chair. Learn More
Pendleton Hose Team - 1897
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The Pendleton Hose Team at the 1897 Eastern Oregon and Washington Firemen's Tournament at Baker City. Learn More
Woman Shooting Competitor c. 1900
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This woman in turn-of-the-century athletic garb appears to be ready for a pistol shooting competition. Learn More
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