Collection: Horace D. Ashton

Horace D. Ashton (1883-1976) was among the first generation of pioneering photojournalists who thrived on scooping the competition. Employed by the firm of Underwood & Underwood, he was charged with seeking out exciting and unusual subjects. These included the first public flights of the Wright brothers, the upward growth of New York City, the plight of immigrants arriving at Ellis Island, and even life in New York slums. He has been called the “counterpart of Indiana Jones", and his photography is sometimes overshadowed by his better known extreme adventures and writings. He conducted ethnographic research in North Africa, travelled 4,000 miles in a dirigible, and engaged in spelunking, an Arctic expedition, and big game hunting.