Six albumen stereoviews on publisher's rounded-corner terracotta card mounts. Fitchburg, Massachusetts: W.I. Marshall, ca. 1876-1877. Printed publisher's margin credits noting award at the U.S. Centennial Exhibition. Versos feature extensive printed descriptive labels titled "The National Park" with detailed geological checklists and narrative text.

An attractive, unusually pristine group of early western stereoviews documenting the thermal formations, deep river canyons, and dramatic cataracts of Yellowstone National Park, photographed, published, and lectured on by pioneer educator William I. Marshall (1840-1906).

Entering the park during its first decade following its formal establishment by Congress in 1872, Marshall captured its natural spectacles to support his celebrated nationwide stereopticon lectures, earning a diploma and medal for photographic excellence at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. All mounts bear his distinct publisher's margin imprint: "Published by W.I. Marshall, Fitchburg, Mass. / Yellowstone National Park Views." 

The lot includes: 

1. Gardiner's River Series, No. 84. Falls, N. Fork, 150 ft. high, from below. A view of surging falls, framed by sheer basalt canyon walls. 

2. Madison and Gibbon's Fork Series, No. 1. Sentinel Rock. Presents towering eroded rock pinnacles rising above the heavily forested canyon basin.

3. Gardiner's River Series, No. 83. Giant's Getaway, Cañon of North Fork. A stunning look down a canyon with a river winding through. 

4. Mammoth Hot Springs Series, Nos. 103 & 104. Upper Basins. One of the images of the hot springs' upper basins, offering a panoramic view of the formation's multiple layers. 

5. Yellowstone Falls and Grand Cañon Series. No. 72. Grand Cañon of Yellowstone, 12 to 1500 ft. deep. An expansive overview looking down the immense, sheer chasm of the canyon.

6. Tower Creek Series, No. 74. Tower Fall, 156 ft. high, from above.  Captures the narrow cascade plunging between dramatic volcanic spires and needle formations.

[Stereoview, Stereocard, Western Americana, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming Territory, William I. Marshall, W.I. Marshall, Fitchburg, Centennial Exhibition, Tower Fall, Sentinel Rock, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Mammoth Hot Springs, Travertine Terraces, Gardiner's River, 19th Century Photography]

Fine condition overall. The prints are remarkably clean and well-preserved, retaining deep contrast, rich tones, and sharp clarity throughout. The mounts are flat, crisp, and unworn.