WLM
| history
was he terrified at the thought of operating
a piece of machinery versus relying upon
his horse? When your rapidly changing
world allows for both animal and machine
to coexist, how does one process that
transformation? Henning Svenson captured
this and thousands of other moments like
these – individuals who had witnessed the
West, and were now standing by while
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it changed before
their very eyes. His
images helped me
understand the gravity
of living in a rapidly
changing world.
Often times I think
that our world today
is rapidly changing,
however when I
consider the flux my
great-grandparents
and great-greatgrandparents
witnessed, I can
appreciate the emotion
of their experience.
With the historic significance of her family’s
collection in mind, Brande has donated
portions of the images to the American
Heritage Center, a part of the University
of Wyoming. The first half was valued at
over $2 million, with another large portion
recently appraised for almost $500,000
Wyoming Lifestyle Magazine | Sprinter 2014
by Penelope Dixon & Associates. “I’ve been
told that our collection is the only of its
kind in the world both on a fine art basis
and a social context,” Brande says. “It’s
so vast and covers over 104 years and
spans four generations, while also being
well catalogued. It’s a very rare find.” The
American Heritage Center’s collection of
over 4,000 images can be viewed under
“Ludwig-Svenson Studio Collection” in
the digital collections section on the AHC
website. (uwyo.edu/ahc)
Brande and her family’s century of images
have been a part of numerous projects
throughout the years: from historical
research to exhibits, from books and
magazines to film. Ludwig Photography of
Laramie and Portrait Artist Anne Brande
continue to create emotional heirlooms for
their clients, continuing the family tradition
into the 21st century. Visit ludwigphoto.com
or visit the studio at 224 Ivinson Avenue in
Downtown Laramie to meet Anne. WL M