Notes and Observations on Geysers in Yellowstone and Elsewhere
Recently Cynthia Barwin noticed a listing on eBay.com. Since she wasn't interested in bidding, I went and acquired this stereo photo. The image is taken from the listing, as I currently have no good way to scan it. A notation on the Kodachrome slide mount implies that it was taken at 10:50.
Plan on doing several posts featuring views of geysers taken from the 1870s to the 1960s. Many of them are taken from postcards.
The first batch features views of large, rare geyser activity from the 1950s and 1960s.
One of Yellowstone's most spectacular and difficult geysers to catch in play. Erupts at intervals from six to 21 hours for 1 1/2 hours at a time.
A view from the roadway of Giant Geyser, well into an eruption. Most likely from the activity of the early 1950s. Postmark was from 1957.
Its initial grand bursts, sometimes exceed 200 feet in height, and it erupts for about an hour and a half.
A much nicer photo taken in 1954, based on the ID number. Does not appear to be any activity from the platform vents.
A spectacular giant located in the Upper Geyser Basin which erupts to height of 200 feet for durations ranging from 45 to 60 minutes. Shown here at the peak of one of her performances.
This is also a giant postcard, triple the area of a normal card. I remember buying it in the early 1980s at the Lower Hamilton's store.
Ranks currently as Yellowstone's most powerful geyser. In function, it is a typical cone-type geyser with continuous action. The water phase lasts from 25 to 40 minutes and reaches a height of nearly 400 feet. Rocks are ejected during eruptions from inside the crater.
Surprising to find this. A nice view that is not the standard NPS view. The address of the publisher includes a ZIP code, so this must date from the late 1960s.
Fountain Geyser in the lower geyser Basin erupts 50 to 75 feet in heightm draining the pool in the foreground with each eruption.
Looks more like Morning Geyser to me. Again, based on the serial number this was taken in 1951.