Excelsior Geyser eruption, Yellowstone National Park, circa 1900

Subject: National & State Parks
Card type: Lithograph
Date: c. 1915 (White Border)

Back of Excelsior Geyser eruption, Yellowstone National Park, circa 1900, c. 1915 lithograph postcard — Back

About this postcard

The card shows Excelsior Geyser in Yellowstone National Park erupting in a towering plume of steam and water, with a dark stand of conifers silhouetted at the left; the printed caption identifies the view and notes a height of 300 feet in 1888. Excelsior Geyser, in the Midway Geyser Basin, was the world's largest geyser during its brief 1880s active phase and could throw water to about 300 feet before becoming largely dormant. F. Jay Haynes, whose credit appears on the card, was the official photographer of Yellowstone and helped shape popular images of the park.

Postcard Details

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PublisherJ. E. Haynes

10094. EXCELSIOR GEYSER—300 FT., IN 1888, YELLOWSTONE PARK. HAYNES-PHOTO. --- 54161 POST CARD ADDRESS. PLACE STAMP HERE Excelsior Geyser in 1888, Yellowstone Park, was the largest geyser known. Its eruptions were 300 feet high, and the width of the water column was equally great. The eruptions were so tremendous that the crater was blown out on one side and it ceased to play. PUBLISHED BY J. E. HAYNES, ST. PAUL, MINN. OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK.

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Postcard record

Publisher	J. E. Haynes
Series	10094
Condition	Very good
Place depicted	Yellowstone National Park, WY
Publisher	J. E. Haynes, St. Paul, MN
Notes	White border; red letterpress caption; fine halftone/lithographic screen; small red mark at right edge. No postmark or cancellation — card is unused. Divided-back "POST CARD" with printed description of Excelsior Geyser; white border on front, coarse color halftone (not linen, not glossy). Light foxing/toning on cream stock.

Cite this card

Excelsior Geyser eruption, Yellowstone National Park, circa 1900, postcard, c. 1915. PostalPast Collection. https://postalpast.com/postcard/excelsior-geyser-eruption-yellowstone-national-park-circa-19. Accessed October 24, 2026.