Exhbit: jackson hole 1955
Kodachrome Images by Orson L. Arvin
The Jackson Hole History Museum announces a new exhibition featuring an incredible series of Kodachrome images of Jackson Hole taken from 1955-56 by Orson L. Arvin.
Opening on Thursday, August 6 at 5:30-7 p.m. in the upstairs Cissy Patterson Gallery the exhibition captures a fascinating moment in Jackson Hole’s history. The images show the valley during the post–World War II auto tourism boom, yet before the ski resort and rapid development began transforming the community in the 1960s.
Orson Arvin arrived with his wife Bettye in the valley in 1955 in their red-and-black 1955 Buick Super Coupe after leaving Los Angeles, where he had been working at Twentieth Century Fox. A conversation on a film set with actor Chuck Connors planted the seed when Connors told him, “It’s too hot here. I’m headed to Jackson Hole.” Soon after, Orson followed that same path and came to Wyoming to help build roads in the Jackson Hole valley.
The exhibition will pair Orson’s large-format, saturated-color images with interpretive text about the couples’ personal experiences joining the local community, as well as the broader story of Jackson Hole at mid-20th century. Artifacts including Orson’s camera, camera bag, Kodachrome slide film, and light table will be on display.
Kodachrome is the legendary color-slide film celebrated for its vibrant colors, remarkable clarity, and exceptional archival longevity. Unlike modern digital photography, Kodachrome demanded technical precision and careful judgment of light, often without the aid of a light meter. Orson’s mastery of the medium, combined with his keen eye for composition, resulted in striking images that preserve Jackson Hole as it appeared in 1955 with extraordinary detail and color.
“The 1950s is a time period we do not have extensively represented in our Jackson Hole History collection, and these vivid Kodachrome images offer a rare and beautiful window into this pivotal moment,” said Executive Director Morgan Jaouen. “We’re excited to collaborate with the Arvin’s to co-curate the exhibition and bring this time period to life at the Museum.”
“These photographs have been part of our family’s story for decades,” Tim Arvin, Orson’s son, said. “Seeing them return to Jackson Hole, where my father first captured them, is both deeply meaningful and a wonderful tribute to his love for this remarkable place.”
Orson’s granddaughter, Emma Arvin, added: “I never had the opportunity to know my grandfather, but through these photographs I’ve come to know the world that shaped him – and, in many ways, myself. Standing in the same places nearly 70 years later, I was struck by the same sense of awe and discovery that captivated him. The spirit of Jackson Hole he captured remains untouched by time. My hope is that everyone who visits this exhibit leaves not only with a deeper appreciation for Jackson Hole’s history but with a renewed curiosity about the people and stories that have shaped their own lives.”
The exhibition photographs and artifacts are generously on loan from, co-curated and presented with The Arvin Family. Guests at the free Opening Reception will also enjoy sweet and savory camp snacks and a bug juice cocktail while supplies last.
The project also is made possible by the generous support of History Jackson Hole Members, Treadwell – a leading fine art insurer, and Wyoming Humanities.
The exhibition will be on display during regular Museum hours through January 4, 2027. For more information visit jacksonholehistory.org or call 307.733.2414.
