(c)Susan Parish
Mary was a serious and highly talented amateur photographer living on the high central plateau of Washington State during a pivotal period in American history. Her timeless photographs showcase her skill and offer viewers a valuable and enduring record of the American West 125 years ago from a small-town in Central Washington.
Mollie Quemates
Mollie Quemates in Sepia
Creating beautiful, intriguing, sometimes romantic, whimsical, and even experimental photographs Mary worked primarily with 5 x 7 glass plate negatives and her beloved quarter-plate camera. producing hundreds of photographs that survive for us to admire. *I have discovered working with historical photographic processes that glass plates are the most enduring and stable of substrates that have been used to capture images on.
Inspired by fellow Washingtonian Edward S. Curtis and other photographers that were publishing their work in the new photography magazines - Mary purposefully and artfully captured her surroundings, her town, events and the people who came and went from their home. She and her husband Austin Mires were well-known known and respected citizens involved in government and political activities. Austin Mires had served as Ellensburg's first mayor, a member of Washington's Constitutional Convention, a State Legislator, Kittitas County Prosecutor and a Superior Court Judge during his life.
Mary's compelling photos include significant portraits of local Native Americans, primarily members of the Yakama tribe. I offer prints from her archive - a few of which are below. *email if you would like more information or to view more of her photographs and story.
Mary also collected Indian made baskets shown in some of her portraits which were donated to the Kittitas County Museum in Ellensburg.
