Thomas Moran's Hat watercolor and ink by Shirl Ireland
It was fun to sit with Thomas Moran's hat today at the Yellowstone Heritage and Research Center. The hat is archived in their collection.
I thought it would be appropriate to do a delicate watercolor rendering. Something I thought Thomas himself may appreciate after all his delicate watercolor studies he created in Yellowstone... maybe with this hat on!
Lower Yellowstone Range watercolor by Thomas Moran
Liberty Cap watercolor by Thomas Moran
This photo of Thomas Moran at Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone was taken by William Henry Jackson. It looks like he's wearing the hat!
In 1871, Moran and Jackson joined the first U.S. government survey of the Yellowstone region. Moran's watercolors (the first color renderings of the area) and Jackson's photos were presented to Congress that fall. The public was truly amazed at the images. In March 1872 Yellowstone became the world's first National Park.
...And I painted his hat 145 years later!