Historic Kolb Studio Art and History Exhibits

 

This side of Kolb Studio faces the start of Bright Angel Trail.

NPS/M.Quinn

Kolb Studio (1905)

8 am to 6 pm daily.
This restored building was a family home and photography studio.

History and Art Exhibits (free and open to the public).

• 2024 Celebration of Art Exhibition (Sept. 15, 2024 — Jan. 20, 2025)
• The Amazing Kolb Brothers Exhibit (Jan. 24 — Sept. 5, 2025).

• Shop in a the historic curio and book store.

• Guided Tours of the Kolb Residence and photography studio are offered on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, by Grand Canyon Conservancy Field Institute's expert guides.

• Starting from Kolb Studio, Walk east through the Village Historic District - or walk west, climbing the Canyon Rim Trail to Trailview Overlook.

• Hike down into Grand Canyon on Bright Angel Trail. The trail begins on the west side of the building

 

At First Glance

Kolb Studio appears to be just an old house perched on the rim of the canyon.

However, if you step inside, or see it from Bright Angel Trail on your hike out of the canyon, you get the sense it is much more than that.

This is the Victorian era home of the Kolb Brothers who created a lasting legacy of adventure, exploration, family love, and amazing Grand Canyon photography that will last as long as the canyon itself.

 

Open Transcript 

Transcript

Kolb Studio

It’s not an exaggeration to claim that photographers Emery and Ellsworth Kolb helped turn the Grand Canyon into a national icon. They were responsible for building Kolb Studio, one of the earliest tourist destinations on the South Rim. These two made their way west to the Grand Canyon in search of a new lifestyle more exciting than the steel mills of western Pennsylvania.

In 1901, Ellsworth Kolb came to the Grand Canyon. He found the canyon so captivating, that he begged his younger brother Emery to come join him out west. Emery arrived a year later. From here, the brothers started their photography business for tourists on the South Rim.

The brothers began to take photographs of the mule riders from the small toll shack on the Bright Angel Trail. The toll shack would later become a five story photo studio built right on the edge of the canyon! The studio was used to document the trips of visitors and create imagery of the Grand Canyon for the next 75 years.

The Kolb brothers did a lot of exploring in the Grand Canyon; but their adventures didn’t stop at still photography. In 1911, the brothers decided to venture down the Colorado River from start to finish. What made their trip special was the 50lb hand crank motion picture camera.

The footage from their wild ride was turned into the historic film-”Shooting the Rapids of the Colorado River Canyons”. From downstairs in the auditorium of Kolb Studio, this film was shown every day until 1976 when Emery Kolb passed away.

Today, the film is no longer played however, visitors can still enjoy Kolb Studio by touring the gallery that now resides inside the auditorium room. The gallery continues to honor the Kolb Legacy by contributing to the cultural benefit of the community and canyon visitors for years to come!

Duration:

1 minute, 52 seconds

Photographers Emery and Ellsworth Kolb helped turn the Grand Canyon into a national icon. They built Kolb Studio, one of the earliest tourist destinations on the South Rim. The brothers began to take photographs of the mule riders from a small toll shack on the Bright Angel Trail. The toll shack would later become today's five story home, theater and photo studio built right on the edge of the canyon! The studio was used to document the trips of visitors and create imagery of Grand Canyon for 75 years.

 

Live View From Kolb Studio

In this north-facing view, the Battleship is in the center, and Havasupai Gardens (formerly known as Indian Garden) is visible - lower right, 3000 feet (915 m) below. Kolb Studio was the family home and photography studio of the Kolb Brothers, pioneer photographers at Grand Canyon. Verify that the time and date of the picture is current (upper left in image) Camera is hosted by Grand Canyon Conservancy. The image updates every minute.

View Webcam

 

Exhibits

 

Grand Canyon Celebration of Art: "Plein Air on the Rim".

 

Grand Canyon Celebration of Art Exhibit in Kolb Studio

2024 Grand Canyon Celebration of Art

Hosted each year by Grand Canyon Conservancy, the Grand Canyon Celebration of Art is an annual event that includes 6 days of art related events followed by a 4 month long exhibition in Kolb Studio on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.

The 2024 events will take place September 7, through September 15, 2024

• The Exhibition will open to the public on Sunday, September 15, at 1:30 pm., and will run through January 20, 2025.

More about the Sixteenth Annual Event in the park and online. Details

 

Artist James McGrew painting during the 2019 Quick Draw Event.

Every September, park visitors and residents have an opportunity to watch artists paint Grand Canyon as they seek to represent the shifting light and shadow, amazing land forms, and vibrant colors of this vast landscape.

Each artist brings a completed studio piece with them and then spends a number of days creating more artwork on the South Rim, on the North Rim, at Phantom Ranch and at Havasupai Gardens during the Plein Air at the Canyon Event.

At the end of the week, on Friday, the Paint Out Event takes place in the historic district of Grand Canyon Village. This is a great time for visitors to ask questions and engage with artists while they are creating their beautiful plein air paintings.

All completed paintings are available for purchase on-site.

Proceeds from this event support the goal of funding an art venue at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. This permanent home will ensure that future generations of park visitors will be able to view the stunning art collection in the Grand Canyon National Park Museum and Grand Canyon Conservancy Collections.

 

Duration:

1 minute, 20 seconds

Every September, a group of artists gather at Grand Canyon National Park for the Celebration of Art presented by Grand Canyon Conservancy. Proceeds from the event go towards establishing a permanent art venue at Grand Canyon. Visitors may watch and learn from the Plein Air painters. (Video clip from "Grand Canyon a Journey of Wonder.")

 

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The Amazing Kolb Brothers - Historic Photos

Amazing Kolb Brothers Exhibit

A Grand Life at Grand Canyon

January 24, through September 2, 2025
Free and open to the public.

• Examine Antique Cameras
• Watch the movie that played continously for 61 years
• Photos of Kolb Studio Historic Renovation Work
• The Kolb Brothers Collection at Northern Arizona University

Presented by Grand Canyon Conservancy, Cline Library, and Grand Canyon National Park. Additional funding provided by the Babbitt Foundation, Pink Jeep Tours, The cities of Las Vegas, NV, and Sedona, AZ, and Ms. Penny Schultz.

 

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More About Kolb Studio

A home, business, tollgate, and photography studio, this historic building has been rebuilt and reimagined many times in its tenure on the rim of Grand Canyon. From humble beginnings, Kolb Studio grew and changed with the family who called it home to become the multi-storied structure you see today.

Nearly demolished in the 1960s, this structure stands today as a park icon, art gallery, and bookstore for visitors in the vicinity of Bright Angel Trail.

Currently operated by the park's non-profit partner Grand Canyon Conservancy, visitors can purchase artwork, books, gifts, souvenirs, and basic hiking gear, or simply stop by for park information. Guided tours of the private residence and photography studio are given on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

It is also possible to shop for Grand Canyon items in their online store >

 

More About the Kolb Brothers

In 1901, Ellsworth Kolb arrived at the rim of Grand Canyon by train. By October 1902, he had persuaded his brother Emery to join him. A year later, the brothers established their photography business near Bright Angel Trailhead after receiving permission from Ralph Cameron, who at the time owned Bright Angel Trail. They camped out in a small tent on the canyon rim before building a small wooden house in 1906, which they called Kolb Studio.

Over the next 12 years, the Kolb brothers established themselves as both photographers and adventurers. From capturing unorthodox photos of hard-to-reach areas of the canyon to documenting their 101 days running the Colorado River on film with a motion-picture camera, Ellsworth and Emery revealed images that few had dreamed of. Selling their images in leather-bound books for three dollars each and touring the country to present their film lecture series, the Kolb brothers made a name for themselves and opened the eyes of a nation to this wonder of the world.

For decades, the Kolb brothers continued to make a living out of Kolb Studio on Grand Canyon’s South Rim. Later in life, when their contractual agreements with the park ended, the National Park Service actually wanted to demolish this studio in the 1960s. The architecture wasn't quite in line with the style and theme of other buildings in the park. After several years of quibbling between Emery and the agency, the structure was saved when Congress passed the National Historic Preservation Act in 1966, legislation that effectively protected park structures over 50 years old from being destroyed.

Continue reading their story, Kolb Brothers, Conflict on the Canyon Rim ,

 

Learn the Kolb Family story, and explore their historic home with an expert guide.

Grand Canyon Conservancy

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Tour the Private Residence

Enter the little seen depths of this five-story building for a behind the scenes tour of the Kolb family's private home and photography studio.

• Your guide will weave stories of the Kolb family members.

• Days Offered: Daily
• Time: 9:30 am or 1 pm | 60 minutes (one hour)

• Participant Size: 8

• Meet Location: Gallery downstairs (access is through the store).

• Additional information about the tour >

• Price: $40/person | Register online >

 

 

Historic Village Tour

Full Steam Ahead

 

Additional South Rim Visitor Centers

• Grand Canyon (South Rim) Visitor Center

• Verkamps Visitor Center

• Yavapai Museum of Geology

• Desert View - Watchtower