The Story Behind Jackson Hole 1955

In the summer of 1955, Orson Arvin — our father and grandfather — married Bettye Goodman in Louisville, Kentucky, and the newlyweds headed west in a brand-new red and black 1955 Buick. After a stint in Hollywood, a chance remark from actor Chuck Connors on a film set stuck with him: “It’s too hot here — I’m headed to Jackson Hole.” Soon after, Orson and Bettye did the same, settling into a ranch cabin with the Teton Range framed in their kitchen window.

Orson built roads around the valley and worked ski patrol at Snow King, while Bettye nursed on Main Street and played piano at the Community Assembly Church. Through it all, Orson carried his Canon rangefinder loaded with Kodachrome, capturing the valley from sunrise to starlight — without a light meter — in images that feel like vintage magazine ads of the era.

Today those photographs are featured in Jackson Hole 1955: Kodachrome Images by Orson L. Arvin at the Jackson Hole History Museum. Our family created this collection to celebrate them, and the spirit of the last of the Old West, as he saw it.

To inquire about limited edition prints of Orson’s photographs visit www.orsonarvin.org, and for more information connect with exhibit co-curator Emma Arvin.