William Henry Jackson, frontier photographer and artist, was an early photographer of the American West, as well as an accomplished artist. He traveled the Oregon-California Trail in 1866 and 1867, and later in life painted a series of watercolors based on his experiences. Scotts Bluff National Monument is the repository for the largest single collection of William Henry Jackson paintings, containing 63 of his original watercolors and drawings.

The long life of William Henry Jackson allowed him to witness many changes in American life, and he used his artistic skills to document those changes for succeeding generations. A wing of the visitor center at Scotts Bluff National Monument is dedicated to the life and work of William Henry Jackson, and a large number of his original paintings are a part of the park's collection, where they are used to illustrate a vital part of our history.