William Henry Jackson, known for his jaw-dropping landscapes of the American West, published very few of his Chinatown photographs. Because his business was located in Denver, Californian Chinatown scenes were less commonly sold as souvenirs. California-based photographers like I.W. Taber and Carleton Watkins, in contrast, published numerous Chinatown views which were readily sold to tourists visiting San Francisco.

William Henry Jackson was an American photographer and painter best known for his photographs of the American West. He was born in Keeseville, New York in 1843 and began his career as a painter before turning to photography in 1866. He was a self-taught photographer and quickly gained recognition for his work. He was hired by the Union Pacific Railroad to document the construction of the transcontinental railroad and his photographs of the West were published in Harper's Weekly and other publications. He was also a member of the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871 and his photographs of Yellowstone were instrumental in the creation of the first national park. Jackson's photographs of the West are some of the most iconic images of the American West and his work has been widely exhibited and published. He died in 1942 at the age of 99.