~ George Shiras 3d ~

(1859-1942) 

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Needless to say, George Shiras the 3d, besides being the son of a Supreme Court Justice, and a member of Congress himself, was a pioneering photographer. Now, I may be a tad biased in favor of him, but he IS a fellow Michiganian, after all  : - ) 

Here's a brief "formal" bio overview:

"George Shiras III (1859–1942), who professionally signed his name as George Shiras 3d, was a pioneering American nature photographer, conservationist, and former U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania. He is widely recognized as the father of wildlife photography for inventing the camera trap and pioneering nighttime flash photography in the 1890s, roughly a century before such technology became standard.

* the Shiras state marker --->

The Historical Marker Database

Photographic Innovations: Shiras developed the first successful methods for photographing wild animals at night using synchronized magnesium and potassium chlorate chemical flashes and trip-wire mechanisms, capturing the first wildlife images published in National Geographic magazine in 1906.
Conservation Legacy: A close friend of President Theodore Roosevelt, Shiras introduced the legislation that became the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, establishing critical federal protections for migratory species and laying the groundwork for modern conservation efforts.
Personal History: Born in Pittsburgh to a family that included a U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Shiras spent his formative years in Northern Michigan, where his family’s hunting camp at Whitefish Lake served as the primary location for his photographic experiments and conservation advocacy."

Here is the link from a November 20, 2015 nationalgeographic.com item --->

Meet Grandfather Flash, the Pioneer of Wildlife Photography

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Now, back in 2023 I was "up north" on vacation at our family's cottage, and found a book at the local small downtown shop. It was titled "True Tales: the Forgotten History of Michigan's Upper Peninsula' by Mikel B. Classen. The first thing that jumped out at me was a chapter about George Shiras 3d and his exploits in my state northern frontier. I read it, and found a comment by the author interesting so I contacted Mr. Classen and we enjoyed some email correspondence back and forth. He gave me his blessing & permission to share & announce this with the Collector's Corner. I shared  a lot of the of the National Geographic Society aspects/knowledge I had of Shiras 3rd, including his strong presence to this day in and around Marquette - the upper peninsula's largest city, and where I attended NMU (e.g., Northern Michigan University). 

* below is an image of the book cover, and then a link to it on Amazon . com --->

True Tales: The Forgotten History of Michigan's Upper Peninsula

and, 

 - -

* then, here is Mikel B. Classen's own web page --->

MIKEL B. CLASSEN ON THE ROAD ~ {George Shiras III – First Wildlife ...

I think it is quite noteworthy to call out the fact that George Shiras 3d's ground-breaking and then-never before seen kind of nighttime & "flash", animal self-triggered photography was worthy enough, and was composed of such a vast store of photos and information and field observations, that Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor saw fit to honor and grace Shiras with a two-volume set of books featuring his admirable and accomplished work, in 1935; 2nd printing w/ a few emendations, in 1936. 

(It was one of the first, "vintage" Society book(s) I ever purchased!). One volume was his work in general, inclusive of the upper mid-west +northwest, and the other volume was nearly exclusively his work in Michigan alone.

Also, there is a 2019;2021 book on G. Shiras 3d by James H. McCommons

* available here on Amazon ----->

Camera Hunter: George Shiras III and the Birth of Wildlife Photography

along with a "U.P. Book Review" ("UP" ='s upper peninsula of Michigan0 write-up here----> 

Camera Hunter by James H. McCommons

George Shiras 3d is one of my most favorite contributors to the Society's work overall, and his nature photography always a joy to look at, as I can relate to so many of the scenes and type of nature and animal life displayed!

           ~ Scott S. 

P>S>

....below are images of 2 of the pictorials which were sent out to members in their NGM's, the 2-volume book set "Hunting Wildlife with Camera and Flashlight", and some of the more Shiras-specific cover of "The National Geographic" -- especially the July 1906 issue, which was groundbreaking in its time. 

ALSO: if interested in M. Classen's Chapter 8 on Shiras, message me and I'll can send it along as a .PDF file . . . Mr. Classen has graciously blessed me [on 6-01-2026] to share it with anyone thus inclined.   : - )