Robert Grant's Forgotten Collection: Rare Photos Of Grand Junction's Past Resurface

Just when I thought that every photo was accounted for, a few more turned up. Here's another batch of classic Robert Grant photos featuring fascinating people, places, and events from around Grand Junction and Western Colorado.

Images included here include the Lands End Hill Climb, a couple of Grand Junction Boy Scouts who saved the day, and even a shot of the Space Shuttle Columbia in orbit.

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Didn't Waylon Say He Was Done With This?

For the last 20 years, I've been sorting, digitizing, and sharing photos taken by my late grandfather Robert Grant. The last handful of posts included the statement, "These are the last from Bob Grant's personal collection." When making that statement, I honestly believed it to be true.

This project has included tens of thousands of prints, and even more negatives, from Bob's personal archives. These were found in file cabinets, storage boxes, and footlockers.

Where Did These Come From?

The holidays were spent sorting through the last of my family's keepsakes. One remaining footlocker was stuffed with Bob Grant's personal belongings including some of his field gear from the Army in World War II, a handful of Press Photographer Association awards, and as it turns out, a handful of prints.

The prints found on December 30, 2023, include images from local races, Boy Scouts, and a few odds and ends. The only thing the prints have in common is the message "Return to Bob Grant" written on the back of each print.

One Standout In This Batch

You'll see one image of Grand Junction's night sky with two lines streaking across it. This was taken by Robert Grant almost ten years after he retired from the Daily Sentinel.

The image, taken from Bob's back porch at his home on Little Park Road in Grand Junction, shows two manmade space bodies traveling across the sky. The notes included on the print read:

Space Shuttle Columbia STS-73, and Soviet Russian Space Station Mir just hours after separation and two days before the American craft returned on November 5, 1995. The two reflective craft passed over my backyard on a heading of about 85 degrees East at 5:24 a.m., Saturday, November 3, 1995.

Okay... That Should Do It

These prints, along with a handful of framed prints used in a Robert Grant photo exhibit, will be delivered later today to Grand Junction's Museum of the West. The museum is hard at work putting together a permanent exhibit of Robert Grant photos. Be on the lookout for that later in 2024.

A Few More Classic Colorado Photos By Robert Grant

I know I've said this a dozen times before, but these are the last images from the personal collection belonging to Grand Junction, Colorado photographer Robert Grant. These were found over the New Year's weekend while searching through a box of Bob's personal items. How they became separated from the rest of his photos is a mystery.

These images appear to cover a handful of decades, with subject matter from the Lands End HIllclimb, Space Shuttle Columbia, and the Boy Scouts.

Gallery Credit: Waylon Jordan

Robert Grant Photos: Western Colorado Residents Having Fun Part III

Enjoy another round of classic photos from late Daily Sentinel photographer Robert Grant. Until last weekend, I was certain the complete collection of Bob's personal photos had been gathered and delivered to the Museum of the West in Grand Junction. As it turns out, three boxes containing thousands of prints were still in storage.

The prints featured here come from the box labeled "Grand Junction Lower Level Sports." Ouch! Try telling that to the athletes pictured here. Given we just observed Labor Day 2023, it seemed appropriate to put together a galley of Grand Junctionites out and about having fun.

The photos here range from the late 1940s all the way to 1987. Like always with these Bob Grant galleries, keep your eyes open for someone you recognize.

Gallery Credit: Waylon Jordan

Grand Junction Area Awards and Celebrations of Yesteryear - Robert Grant Photos

Here's another round of Robert Grant photos of people, places, and events around Western Colorado. In this case, the subject matter revolves around awards and celebrations. These images came from a box of prints labeled "People Unidentified."

These prints feature locations including Grand Junction, Fruita, and a few other areas around the valley. Unfortunately, every print has one thing in common - no information was provided as to those pictured, the places, or the events.

Take a close look. You're bound to recognize someone. It's entirely possible you may be pictured somewhere in the gallery. It happens every time I publish one of these galleries, someone recognizes a face or two. More often than not, someone sees a photo of themselves.

Gallery Credit: Waylon Jordan

Source: Rediscovering Iconic Photos of Well-Renowned Colorado Photographer