Frank Jay Haynes (1853-1921), Crater of Oblong Geyser

Frank Jay Haynes (1853-1921)Crater of Oblong GeyserYELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARKNumber 33 penciled lower left-hand cornerFine albumen print, mounted on archival mattePhotograph size: 5 x 8 in.Matte board size: 11 x14 in.   Provenance: from the library of William E. Hofman, his sale Christie's 3rd December, 2010, lot 343A magnificent view of the crater of celebrated Oblong geyser in Yellowstone National Park, by official Yellowstone Park photographer Frank Jay Haynes. The 1872 "Hayden Expedition named this geyser for the shape of its crater. The greenish-blue tinted pool and elaborate sinter formations around the crater are as impressive as an eruption. Even though Oblong is not considered a major geyser, an eruption discharges a high volume of water. During the quiet interval there is a slow rise of water in the crater which can take one to three hours to fill. Eruptions are difficult to predict since there are occasional periods of turbulence and overflow. When it does erupt, a fountain o