W. CALVIN BROWN The first photograph of Gallup, NM
GALLUP, NM, ABOUT 1884
PHOTOGRAPH BACK
W
e all know how many words a photograph is worth and this one might be worth even more. W. Calvin Brown is one of the most elusive photographers I have ever tried to research. There is no collection of his work in a museum or library, very little biography, and no portrait of the picture taker himself. When I came across this image of Gallup at an antique show recently, I almost missed it. Title of the photo is bottom right, and hard to read. Brown apparently arrived in Albuquerque in 1882. He was immediately made a Lieutenant in the Territorial Militia. He was either quickly given the post of Official Photographer for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad, or that’s why he came west. Clearly, he already had some expertise in photography, and some background in the army. It is widely known that the historic railroad through Gallup was the Santa Fe, with its iconic Fred Harvey hotels and eateries. But in 1881 it was the Atlantic and Pacific, which had previously been known as the Southwest Pacific Railroad, largely owned by The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad, chartered in 1866,
