Photos and Story (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. Beautiful, intriguing, sometimes romantic, whimsical, and even experimental 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 in my 40+ years working with historical photography that glass plates are the most enduring and stable of substrates that have been used to captures images.
Inspired by fellow Washingtonian Edward S. Curtis - Mary purposefully and artfully captured pioneer life, the people and the events of her region. She and her husband Austin Mires were well-known known and respected and involved in government and political activities during their lives. Austin was Ellensburg's first mayor, a member of the Washington constitutional convention, state legislature, Kittitas county prosecutor and superior court judge.
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.
Mollie Quemates
Mollie Quemates in Sepia
Mary also collected Indian made baskets which were donated to the Kittitas County Museum in Ellensburg.
