William Albert Allard (B.A.’64), who has earned a reputation as one of America’s finest photographers, entered college hoping to be a writer. Though he soon transferred to the U’s photojournalism program, his writing skills are often on display with his work for National Geographic as well as in his independent projects. Currently a Geographic staff photographer, the Minneapolis native first came to prominence for his milestone 1982 book about the American West and the cowboy, Vanishing Breed, which won the Leica Medal of Excellence for Outstanding Achievement, among other awards.

One of Allard’s recent projects was a fine art exhibit, “Her Picture in a Frame,” at the C&O Gallery in Charlottesville, Virginia, near where he lives with his family. He selected a few images from that exhibit for Minnesota.

(Editor's Note: It is recommended that viewers peruse Allard's images without using the "Slide Show" function. Rather, enjoy the essay using the "back" and "next" buttons to read and view at your own pace.) Click on Allard's photo below to begin.

Image Gallery: Allard's images
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