Cameron, Evelyn, 1868-1928

Evelyn Jephson Flower was born August 26, 1868, near Streatham, England. The Flower family was tied to England's elite--her half brother Cyril Flower became Lord Battersea in 1892. Ewen Somerled Cameron was born in 1854 in Scotland, to a genteel, but penniless family.

Evelyn and Ewen Cameron were married in the fall of 1889 and spent their honeymoon in Montana. Both were avid hunters and were lured to Montana by English magazines that boasted of the abundant wildlife, the ease of living on the plains, and the fiscal rewards of polo pony raising. The Camerons moved to Montana in 1893 and established the Eve ranch near Terry to breed and train polo ponies. The horse breeding venture proved disasterous, however, as the ponies were difficult to transport--many dying on the boat to England. The animals that survived the trip were too wild for English riders who were not accustomed to "breaking" horses. Although Evelyn's family provided her with an annual allowance, the Cameron's were unable to make a profit and by 1897 were forced to abandon polo pony raising and find other sources of income. They took in wealthy boarders, who they tried to convince to invest in the ranch, and Evelyn sold her garden produce and photographs. The Cameron's took their first trip back to England in 1901, and remained for a year. In 1902 they returned to Montana and bought land outside of Terry near the Yellowstone River. They remained at that location until 1907 when they moved to a ranch near Fallon, Montana.

In addition to the polo pony business, Ewen Cameron was interested in Montana wildlife, especially birds. He became a noted ornithologist, with several articles being published in various British science magazines, including The Auk. He worked for many years on a book describing birds of the western United States. He was also a skilled and enthusiastic hunter.

Evelyn Cameron, in addition to her work on the ranch, took a keen interest in photography. In 1894 she purchased her first camera, and learned basic photographic techniques from one of her boarders. Photography served many purposes for Evelyn, it relieved some of the loneliness of living on the plains, provided much needed income, allowed her to work with Ewen on his wildlife studies, and provided an avenue for meeting and learning about her neighbors. She was especially fascinated with the strength and perserverance of the Russian-German immigrants. Her photographs captured the experiences of men and women on the plains of Eastern Montana in starkly vivid and candid terms. Cowboys, women, ranchers, farmers, children, itinerant workers, sheep herders, and the stark landscape all found their way into her photos. Her work was carried in magazines throughout the country. Unlike Ewen, whose wildlife interests took him farther and farther from the ranch, Evelyn was facinated with the ranching lifestyle. She developed close friendships with their neighbors, the Williams family. Janet Williams became her dearest lifelong friend, to whom she bequeathed all her diaries, photos and belongings after her death.

In 1914 Ewen Cameron became ill and had to be taken to Pasadena, California, to receive cancer treatments. He died the following year and was buried in California. Evelyn, contrary to the requests of her family, returned to Fallon to run the ranch by herself. She continued her photography for the remainder of her life. She died in 1928 following an operation for appendicitis. She was buried in Terry, Montana.

From the guide to the Evelyn J. Cameron and Ewen S. Cameron papers, 1893-1929, (Montana Historical Society Research Center)