"Love of Nature" - Love in the Archives 2024

Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge, located in Socorro County, is a captivating haven for nature enthusiasts and, in particular, photographers. Renowned for its diverse and abundant birdlife, the refuge provides a picturesque setting that attracts photographers from around the world. The seasonal migration of sandhill cranes and snow geese is a spectacular sight, creating opportunities for stunning shots against the backdrop of vibrant sunrises and sunsets. Photographers are able to capture intimate moments of wildlife behavior and the mesmerizing interplay between light and nature in this serene sanctuary.

Many photographers featured in the Pictorial Collections of the CSWR have made photographs from the natural beauty in the Bosque del Apache. From Margaret Randall to Lee Marmon to Eduardo Fuss and others, samples of their work are on display for all to enjoy.

The pictorial collections contain over 120,000 images dating from the mid-1850's to the present and focus primarily on New Mexico, the Southwest, and Latin America. Major collections include the Cobb Memorial Collection, the Henry A. Schmidt Collection, and the Atlantic & Pacific Railway Collection. Selected images are available in New Mexico Digital Collections.  Pictorial images comprise both photographic and non-photographic materials, which can include postcards, posters, lithographs, engravings, etchings, and ephemera.

For more information, see the Photographs and Images Research Guide. All pictorial collections have finding aids in the  New Mexico Archives Online .