Photograph Collections
The Library & Archives holds photographic materials in a variety of historical formats going back to the mid-nineteenth century. Approximately 1.25 million photographs document the diverse history of Montana and the lives and accomplishments of its people. They include the work of amateurs and professionals who have captured the faces of the state's inhabitants, immortalized its landscapes, and recorded its agricultural, industrial, technological, and cultural developments.
We provide a number of ways to access our collections. A good place to start is with our digital images on the Montana History Portal, where we have thousands of images of our photographs. Please note that we share the Montana History Portal with institutions from across the state. While searching, it’s important to pay close attention to who the contributing institutions are for the photographs you’re viewing.
While the Montana History Portal is the best place to view digital images from our collections, it only includes a small percentage of the photos we hold. We provide much valuable descriptive information about our collections in our catalog.
- Click the Search the catalog button (above).
- Within the online catalog, enter relevant search terms in the search box, and then press ENTER or click Search. Your search results will display.
- Next, at the far left, under Limit Search Results, in Location, select the check box next to Photograph Archives, and then click Include. Your search results will be filtered so that only items in our photograph collections appear.
If you locate information about a promising collection, you should contact our dedicated staff of archivists (photoarchives@mt.gov) with any questions you may have. If your search is well defined and not too expansive, our archivists may be able to quickly help you locate a photograph. If your research is more complex, they can direct you to resources or collections to help you. You may need to plan a visit to the Library and Archives reference room, and they can help you prepare for your visit.
For more information about our photograph holdings see our Guide to MTHS Photograph Collections or contact us at (406) 444-4739 or photoarchives@mt.gov.
Bear Chief, a Fine Blackfeet Type. N. A. Forsyth. Date Unknown. ST 001.297
