Distinctly Montana Magazine

70 D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 3 - 2 4 However, when faced with Jackson's photographs, and some of Moran's sketches and colorful paintings, the doubts were soon put to rest. Congress almost unanimously passed the Yellow- stone National Park Protection Act, which was signed into law by President Grant on March 1, 1872. In commemoration of es- tablishing Yellowstone as the world's first national park, Moran painted his huge 7' x 12' painting of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. It hung in the U.S. Capitol until 1950. Moran and Jackson remained friends for the balance of their lives. They reunited twice—once in 1881 for a railroad trip from Denver to Mexico and back, then again in June of 1892, when they reprised their trip to Yellowstone. After that trip, Moran painted another huge mural of the Grand Canyon of the Yellow- stone—this one even larger than before at 8' x 14'. It now hangs in the Smithsonian Museum, Washington, DC. Today, we take national parks for granted. There are 63 national parks in the U.S. and over 6,550 worldwide, but they all trace their origins to the world's first—Yellowstone National Park. Through their images, Jackson and Moran were able to convey the awe and majesty of that land in a way that Hayden's dry scientific reports could not. Suffice it to say that, in the end, the impact of their art proved to be so powerful that not even the most reticent of con- gressmen could vote against protecting Yellowstone. Thank you, William Henry Jackson and Thomas Moran! The author wishes to acknowledge and thank the staff at the North Lake County Public Li- brary, Polson, Montana, for their invaluable help in securing resources for this article through the Montana Shared Catalog Network. Moran painted ANOTHER HUGE MURAL OF THE GRAND CANYON OF THE YELLOWSTONE. IT NOW HANGS IN THE SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM Castle Geyser. Upper: Jackson photo, 1871. Lower: Moran painting, 1874 NPS, MUSEUM MANAGEMENT PROGRAM YELLOWSTONE'S PHOTO COLLECTION, NPS

• Cover