The Bill Belknap Collection is now on display at Cline Library, Northern Arizona University. We are proud to present a portfolio of his images in this issue. Stop by the library to see the rest.

dmit it. Chances are you too have looked enviously at one of the many classic Bill Belknap Grand Canyon images and thought, what I would give to have been there myself. To greet the likes of Buzz Holmstrom, Elzada Clover, Norm Nevills, Don Harris, Bert Loper, Lois Jotter, Bill Beer, John Daggett, Frank Wright, or P.T. Reilly as they came off trips. To have run with Dock Marston. To have been on the low-water sportyak trip in 1963. Better still, the jet boat uprun in 1960.
Admit also that you probably have no idea what kinds of images Belknap shot beyond those in the Big Ditch.
Belknap's photographic career began when he was a boy of ten. His mother (his parents separated when Bill was very young) took him on a trip to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, where he pressed his Brownie box camera into service. Jane Belknap was supportive of her son's new passion, and when they moved to Hollywood, California, she provided Bill with a darkroom setup, his first.
In 1937, the Belknaps moved again, this time to Boulder City. Jane Belknap owned an interest in Grand Canyon-Boulder Dam Tours, Inc., the first Lake Mead concessioner, conducting land, air, and water tours. Bill, still a teenager, did publicity work for the company, which included taking photographs of the dam, the town, Lake Mead, and Grand Canyon. It was during this time that he began shooting his famous pictures of river travelers.
When World War ii broke out, Belknap joined the Navy. He received formal photographic training from Life magazine, and was assigned to the White House, eventually earning the title of Chief Photographer's Mate. His photographs of Roosevelt, Truman, Churchill, Stalin, Molotov, Patton, and Eisenhower, of Berlin in ruins, of soldiers and civilians, are among his most poignant and powerful work. In later years, few people who knew Bill realized he had taken these images; one friend recalled Bill modestly saying he had taken a few pictures of “a couple of presidents.”
By the end of the war, Bill had a family: his wife, Frances Spencer, and two children, Buzz and Loie. The clan returned to Boulder City. In 1947, along with partners Cliff and Gene Segerblom and Mark Swain, Bill opened the Photo Information Center/Belknap Photographic Services. The shop, which remained open until 1965, offered a full line of camera equipment, film processing and commercial and portrait photographs. It also served as Bill's base for his freelance work. He photographed and/or wrote articles for National Geographic, Argosy, and Life Magazine, and Boulder City area newspapers, among others. From 1951 to 1955, Belknap wrote a weekly advertisement/column, Boulder Camera, which chronicled activities of the town, the Belknap family, and Bill's various personal and community endeavors, as well as announcing services and sales at the Photo Center. In addition, Bill and Fran co-authored Gunnar Widforss: Painter of the Grand Canyon, a book showcasing Widforss's stunning watercolors, published in 1969. Bill was also the leader/advisor for the Rotary Club's Explorer Scouts Post #5.
From his earliest years, Bill was fascinated by Native American cultures. He made frequent trips to the Havasupai, Hopi, and Navajo lands, and his photographs reflect his respect and admiration for their residents. Among his closest friends were Fred and Alice Kabotie and their children, Michael and Hattie. Fred Kabotie: Hopi Indian Artist, published in 1977, was a collaborative result of this friendship.
And of course, there was the Canyon. Dock Marston, that venerable river historian, introduced Bill to the joys of river running, and the two took many trips together. It was during those golden years of river running that Buzz, who joined Dock and his father on several adventures, conceived the idea of preparing river guide books. The Powell Centennial Grand Canyon River Guide made its appearance in 1969. Many of the photographs splashed on the pages were Bill's, and Fran and Loie also played key roles in preparing the guides. The endeavor evolved into the Belknap family's own publishing firm, Westwater Books, and grew to include guides for Canyonlands National Park, Dinosaur National Monument, the Snake River, and Desolation & Gray Canyons.
Of all of Belknap's endeavors, the one that was probably dearest to his heart was Fastwater Expeditions, a family-operated river running company. His craft of choice was the tough little Sportyak, which allowed each passenger to row. As Bill put it, why let your boatman have all the fun? Bill's gentle teaching style enabled hundreds of people of all ages and sizes to successfully navigate the Green, San Juan, and Dolores rivers from 1974 to 1986. Participants also benefitted from Bill's knowledge of photography—some of the trips were even designated as photo workshops—and from his extensive musical knowledge. When energy was lagging on a hike, Bill's singing would help to liven weary steps.
In a 1979 interview, R.J. Johnson asked Belknap in what aspect of photography he thought he most excelled. Without hesitating, Bill responded “teaching.” Bill gave and taught throughout his life, and his photographic legacy continues the tradition.

Diane Grua