The Most Iconic Image in Oilfield History
When news of the Lucas Gusher reached Port Arthur, photographer Frank Trost was on the next train to Beaumont.
He hauled his heavy dry plate camera up the Big Hill and set it on its tripod about a hundred yards from the man-made geyser.
An oily mist filled the air and condensed on his lens. That's what gives the image a bit of an underwater quality.
That tiny figure to the right of the derrick is Captain Anthony Lucas. The three men to the left are the drilling crew, Peck Byrd and the Hamill brothers, Curt and Al.
This is a photo of the whole world changing.
Physical Details
- 18 by 24 inches
- Limited Edition of 254 Copies
- Each one is hand-numbered
This is a high quality Giclee print on old-world style heavy weight, acid free, cold press watercolor paper. Each one is individually hand-numbered. The 'felt finished' surface allows the inks to 'bite', reproducing the shading and tonality of the original image vividly, beautifully, and exactly.
These inks are guaranteed color-fast for 80 years, which means you won't need to lay out the extra money for UV glass. You can hang your print in direct sun and it will be just as bright when they are passed on to the next generation as a family heirloom as it is the day it ships.
All you need to do choose any standard 18 by 24 inch frame from your local frame shop.
Like all prints in this series, it is a Limited Edition of only 254 hand-numbered, one for each county in Texas.
It's an instant heirloom.
