The Studebaker stunt of America's original 'influencer'

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Is risking your life for a silly ‘selfie’ a uniquely modern phenomenon? Not necessarily. These pictures are over a century old and are first-hand proof that taking great risks in order to make an outstanding photograph is nothing new.

They were shot at Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park in California, which may be better known to some as the Overhanging Rock. Projecting from 3200 feet (980m) above the valley, this rock has been a destination for the adventurous and curious for ages and has been used to stage daring photographs ever since photography was invented. It became a kind of tourist hotspot in the early 20th century when a number of shots taken there were publicised. A stunning 80-room hotel named the Glacier Point Mountain House was built nearby shortly afterwards, reaching completion in 1917.

The photograph of the car dates back to 1916. It’s a Studebaker Six owned by photographer Arthur Clarence Pillsbury. By that time, Pillsbury had made a real name in photography and Yosemite was one of his favourite places to work. The frighteningly-staged picture on Glacier Rock supposedly impressed the Studebaker PR department so much that they used it for a number of publications themselves. Upon seeing the picture in the San Francisco Chronicle under the heading ‘Arthur Pillsbury Thrills Visitors in Valley by Daring Act to Obtain Unique Photo’, Pillsbury’s insurance company is said to have promptly cancelled his policy! Somehow, though, we don’t think such a threat would be a deterrent for today’s ‘influencers’ hanging over cliffs with their ‘selfie sticks’…

Words: Jeroen Booij; pictures: A. C. Pillsbury
 

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