JOHN MILTON BUCK
circa 1870 in Kansas
Profession: Photographer

Among the earliest of the American photo-journalists, John Milton Buck began roving the American Plains during the 1870s, capturing photographs of the old West and managing a portrait business at his small studio in Kansas.

Images of Native American tribes, newly constructed railroads, and cities rising up from the dust of the prairie were just a few of his many subjects...

My father inherited John Milton's large old wooden camera, which still stands on its tripod today. (Though it hasn't taken a photograph in about 100 years.)

John's pictures speak for themselves. Each was scanned from original prints preserved by our family. These selections were shot in the Missouri area, providing a close-up view of the changing world of the 1800s.