Two Guns White
Calf
Photo by T.J. Hileman |
T. J. Hileman (1882 -
1945) T. J. Hileman was
closely associated with Glacier National Park. For many years he
produced and sold countless photographs from his commercial
shop. Not only did he capture impressive scenic images, but he
documented the visits of important individuals to the area, his
work was reproduced on countless
postcards and in brochures, periodicals and books. Tomar Jacob
Hileman was born on November 6, 1882 in Marienville,
Pennsylvania. He graduated from the Effingham School of
Photography in Chicago. In 1911, moved to Kalispell, Montana
and opened his own portrait studio.
He met Alice Georgeson, and in 1913 they were ... the first couple to have
been married in Glacier Park." Hileman began his
association with the Great Northern shortly after arriving in
Montana, moving his bulky camera equipment by packhorse, often
perched precariously on narrow ledges to capture
just the right moment on film. In
1926, Hileman opened photo-finishing labs in Glacier Park Lodge
and Many Glacier Hotel. Tourists appreciated
being able to drop off film in the evening and
pick up their prints the next morning. On March 13, 1945 Tomar Hileman died at his home on
Flathead Lake. In 1985, the Glacier Natural History Association
purchased over one thousand of Hileman's nitrate negatives. The
Association also owns 32 of Hileman's photographic albums
containing more than 2000 prints. These treasures remain a
lasting tribute to Glacier's most prolific photographer. |