Through the Grand Canyon from Wyoming to Mexico

by Ellsworth L. Kolb

During the fall and winter of 1911–12, pioneering Grand Canyon photographers Ellsworth and Emery Kolb rowed down the Green and Colorado Rivers through the Grand Canyon. Remarkably, they brought a newfangled motion-picture camera along for the ride and became the first to record the Grand Canyon on film. The resulting movie was shown at the Grand Canyon for some sixty years, and Ellsworth Kolb wrote a vivid account of the adventure in Through the Grand Canyon from Wyoming to Mexico, first published in 1914.

This new edition of one of the earliest accounts of running the Green and Colorado Rivers contains the original text and photographs, appearing as they did in the first edition of the book. All of the characters and cataracts are here, as the Kolb brothers persevered through multiple mishaps and fickle weather during their remarkable journey. Their story is one of the classic adventure tales of the American West.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Photography, Memoir

456 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1914

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in about four hours on a sunny late winter day sitting literally on the edge of the Grand Canyon at Shoshone Point overlooking the river the Kolbs descended and described in fascinating detail in this, their record of the trip they took in 1911. The real book I have was signed in 1956 by the Kolbs themselves and yet again shows, as if it were necessary, the value of real books. I held the very same book the authors themselves did, and read this physical object in the very real presence of the place they wrote about. The deep sense of connection I felt with the authors and the canyon and the river was thanks to this marvelous thing: a real book. All of our wonderful technology, including the device on which I'm writing this review, and the web-based application which allows you to view this, has no advantage over a book's simplicity, and has nothing at all human about it. When the power goes off, and it surely will someday, our iPads, eBooks, and server farms will last about as long as the Colorado River would take to destroy the Glen Canyon "damn" given a single happy year of unexpectedly high rainfall.

[Charla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this would be a bit of a dry read, just a basic recital of what happened on the journey. It was anything but! I was drawn in from the first. Sometimes you get your hands on a book that gives you chills the minute you open the cover. Admittedly, that was (in this case) partly because the flyleaf was signed by Emory Kolb, who made most of the journey with the author, his brother. It also doesn't hurt that we had recently been to the Grand Canyon and for the first time on our many visits, were able to tour the Kolb Studio and home. I definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in river rafting, the canyon, or just plain adventure fans.

[Kevin DaVee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah the world of the Kolb brothers.

[tyRonE hArDing · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good and interesting

[Roy E Wardle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Wish the pictures had been included.

[Henri Moreaux · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is quite an extraordinary tale, two blokes (the Kolb brothers) set off for a 2,250 kilometre (1,400 mile) journey, over 100 years ago, in rickety wooden boats. I doubt most people, even with all our modern technology, gps mapping and lightweight freeze dried food could make the same journey, and the Kolb brothers carted a heavy manual crank handle motion picture camera plus several photographic cameras along to document the journey.

The book documents their travel both as a journal and in photographs, the new edition (1930?+) contains 76 plates covering everything from the people themselves, the epic scenery, the rapids & a dead body they found.

It's really quite an awe inspiring journey they undertook and it's written in a manner which makes it easy to devour yet conveys all the complexities and obstacles they faced. Really quite an interesting look into the past (1911-12).

Would recommend for people interested in American history, travelogues, exploration & general history.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a copy of the 1946 edition which has the cover illustrated here. My grandmother went to hear the author speak and got his autograph at Grand Canyon, AR on April 25, 1947. Besides, the beautiful cover, there is a color frontispiece and 76 plates of photos taken by the brothers Kolb in the back of the book.

I was always fascinated by how close the canyon is to "civilization" and how far away and isolated it is. The photo of the clothed skeleton they came across was illustrative of this.

If you are interested in the Grand Canyon, its history, in hiking and exploration, you would enjoy this book.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two brothers set off from Green River City, WY in September, 1911 to follow the Green to the Colorado and eventually all the way to the Gulf of California. 100 years ago there was no mention of tamarisk, or dams. They were photographers who lived in the Grand Canyon and wanted to photograph the entire way and even did some motion pictures.

It was great to read about their journey. I realized I have been on just about every part of the river as well, except for the Grand Canyon, and I get to go down the GC in less than 2 weeks. How lucky I am.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly wonderful, a must-have if you love the Grand Canyon and or river-rafting. Charming off-hand style, quaint photos and a lyrical description of the Colorado Delta now destroyed by the river's impoundment at Hoover Dam. Our signed copy was lost in a fire at our house twelve years ago.
People who like this would also like The Man Who Walked Through Time and Major John Wesley Powell's book about the first expedition through the canyons (including Glen Canyon). Also see Glen Canyon: the Place no One Knew, by David Brower for magnificent photos and text.

[Milo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A CLASSIC THAT STILL CAN BE FOUND IN HARDCOVER AND AUTOGRAPHED BY THE KOLB'S

The Kolb Brothers made the 1st motion picture of a river trip down the Colorado through Grand Canyon. They showed the fim in a small studio/theater on the south rim of the canyon hanging right over the edge over and over again with personal narration. They would then sell the customers a book, autographed and dated.
Hard to find with original dustjacket.
Find one and buy it.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really interesting chronicle of the Kolb brothers' river trip. Very easy reading, exciting descriptions of runs through rapids and canyons. Sadly large sections of their trip are now under water backed up by dams.
I have a special interest in this book: my copy is a first edition from October 1914, that belonged to my mother. The Kolbs were her grandfather's cousins.

[Dale]

I'm only on page 12 but this is, so far, the best book I've read in a long time.

[Kimb · Rating 4 out of 5]

fascinating.

[Bear · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is what adventure stories are all trying to be. A true story of the Kolb brothers amazing journey documenting and exploring the Green and Colorado rivers in the years of 1911-12.