[Geysers] Answers to "what geyser is this?"

[krmorby at comcast.net]

The eBay listing said the 1927 photogravure is from a photograph by E.O. Hoppé.  This more or less corresponds with Hoppé's visit to the western states in 1926 and the publishing of his book, "Romantic Amerika" in 1927. The listing mentions that there is printing on the back of the photogravure so the image may be an illustration cut from this book.  The fact that the geyser is misidentified does not strike me as unusual given the circumstances.

I believe Solitary was first tapped for the baths in 1914-1915.  It is my understanding that this was initially done using wooden troughs.  The clay pipes that we still see along the boardwalk may not have come until the Hamilton remodeling in the '30s.  Perhaps someone with more knowledge of this may care to comment.

            Kent Morby

 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: snorkology at sysmatrix.net
> Hi all,
> 
> Thanks to everyone for the guesse on what geyser that was a photo of.
> 
> After looking at everyone's guesses, I'm definitely leaning towards it
> being Solitary Geyser, for two reasons: For one thing, the crater looks a
> bit too small to be Fountain's, although it does bear a good resemblance.
> Also, the background sloping hillside and distant hills beyond that
> correspond well to Solitary, or at least better than Fountain.
> 
> The photo was taken (if I remember correctly) in 1908. Was Solitary done
> being tapped for hot water by then?
> 
> Of course the biggest question is, how could they have gotten the I.D. so
> drastically wrong? I suspect that calling a new geyser some name with the
> word "Fountain" in it was very commonplace.
> 
> In the same night of web-surfing I found another photo, this one
> considerably more tongue-in-cheek...enjoy!
> 
                        Grover Schrayer