"William Henry Holmes is the biography of post-Civil War America's most brilliant western artist. Born in 1846, Holmes first came to national attention as a topographical illustrator for western survey by Ferdinand V. Hayden and Clarence E. Dutton. The insistent incorporation of geological knowledge distinguished Holmes's illustrations of western wonders such as Yellowstone, Estes Park, Mesa Verde, and Grand Canyon from earlier depictions, and advanced scientific theory and practice."--BOOK JACKET.