Bank of America Collection
Scope and Contents
The Bank of America Collection contains one triptych-style panoramic print by Jim Dow showing an interior view of Busch Stadium and one hand-colored steel engraving by Emil B. Krausse titled "View of St. Louis."
The view of Busch Stadium is made of three separate frames that combine to show a panoramic view of the empty stadium interior. The view is looking from the stands in center field across the outfield and toward the diamond, with several downtown skyscrapers visible in the distance. Each frame is surrounded by a black border. The three frames have been printed as a single print.
The print is part of a project photographer Jim Dow undertook from 1980-1982 to shoot major and minor league parks in the US and Canada, eventually totaling over 200 fields. The final 1982 portfolio was titled "The National League Stadiums." Dow captured images on large format film and an 8x10 vintage wooden camera. Each exposure took 30-40 minutes which allows for shifts in light and weather. The print in our collection is a digital pigment print made from scanned negatives and printed in 2015. It was part of a Bank of America traveling exhibit on baseball.
The "View of St. Louis, Missouri" engraving shows an aerial view of the city of St. Louis in 1854. The Mississippi River, with steamboats docked along the levee, is in the foreground. The Charles Belcher steamboat is prominently visible. The image was drawn by G. Hofmann and taken partly from a daguerreotype by Thomas Easterly. The engraving was done by Emil B. Krausse. A label on the back of the print indicates that it was previously the property of the Boatmen's National Bank of St. Louis.
Dates
- 1854; 1982
Conditions Governing Access
No viewing restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright restrictions may apply. The user assumes full responsibility for conforming to the laws of copyright.
Biographical / Historical
Jim Dow (1942- ) is an nationally and internationally known photographer from Massachusetts who trained with Walker Evans. His work can be found in the Art Institute of Chicago, The Getty, the Met, Museum of Modern Art in Cologne, Germany, and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Emil Bernhard Krausse (1827-1886) was born in Loessnitz, Saxony, and he learned the art of engraving from his oldest brother. He joined the Brockhaus firm in Leipzig and decided to take the opportunity when the Belcher Sugar Company requested a Brockhaus engraver to produce an engraving of St. Louis and its riverfront, particularly the company’s steamboats. Emil arrived in St. Louis in 1851, with the intention of completing the job and returning home. However, by the time he finished the engraving six months later, he had decided to remain in St. Louis. Emil’s obituary in the Westliche Post states that his 1852 aerial view of St. Louis was his last engraving, as the profession was too hard on his eyes. He instead entered his father’s trade and opened a factory in St. Louis to produce dye and other chemical and metal products.
Extent
0.0 Cubic Feet
Language of Materials
English
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
No physical or technical restrictions.
Donor Information
Collection donated by Bank of America in 2020 and 2026.
Existence and Location of Copies
Digital copies and item-level records of select images are posted as they are created and can be accessed through the Online Collections on the Missouri Historical Society website (mohistory.org/collections).
Digitized images are generated from the original item whenever possible and files are adjusted only to ensure an accurate representation. Master files are saved in TIF format and JPEG viewing files are automatically generated from the master files.
Formats
Panoramic photograph; Steel engraving
Processing Information
Processed by Lauren Sallwasser, 2026.
- Title
- Guide to the Bank of America Collection.
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- EAD by Lauren Sallwasser using ArchivesSpace.
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Missouri Historical Society, Photographs and Prints Department Repository
Library and Research Center
225 South Skinker Boulevard
St. Louis MO 63105
photo@mohistory.org
