▁valuable ▁phot ographic ▁records ▁of ▁Seattle , ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Washington , ▁Al aska , ▁and ▁the ▁Kl ond ike , ▁covering ▁a ▁period ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 0 s ▁until ▁ 1 9 4 0 . ▁ ▁Curt is ▁was ▁a ▁keen ▁observer ▁of ▁people , ▁places ▁and ▁events , ▁As ah el ▁documented ▁the ▁Washington ▁tim ber , ▁agricult ure , ▁fish ing ▁and ▁min ing ▁indust ries . ▁He ▁photograph ed ▁historic ▁events ▁such ▁as ▁president ial ▁vis its , ▁the ▁building ▁of ▁the ▁d ams ▁on ▁the ▁Columbia ▁River , ▁and ▁Seattle ' s ▁am bit ious ▁Den ny ▁Reg rade ▁project . ▁ ▁Curt is ▁appreciated ▁the ▁beauty ▁and ▁uniqu eness ▁of ▁M t . ▁Rain ier ▁so ▁much ▁that ▁for ▁several ▁dec ades ▁he ▁directed ▁his ▁appreci ation ▁for ▁scen ic ▁beauty ▁and ▁his ▁efforts ▁at ▁regional ▁boost er ism ▁and ▁combined ▁them ▁into ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁M t . ▁Rain ier ▁National ▁Park . ▁Curt is ▁was ▁a ▁found ing ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Mount aine ers , ▁a ▁mountain - cl im bing ▁group ▁which ▁also ▁promoted ▁the ▁pres ervation ▁of ▁w ilder ness ▁areas . ▁Curt is ▁was ▁active ▁in ▁the ▁affairs ▁of ▁the ▁club ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁several ▁years ▁after ▁its ▁found ing ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 6 . ▁He ▁led ▁the ▁Mount aine ers ▁on ▁clim bs ▁up ▁M t . ▁Rain ier ▁and ▁organized ▁a ▁committee ▁within ▁the ▁club ▁to ▁deal ▁with ▁the ▁M t . ▁Rain ier ▁National