June 2026 • Nebraskaland 73
Art for Conservation
USE OF TRADITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS THROUGH THE YEARS
By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
Photography and Nebraskaland are synonymous. The magazine
is known for its intimate portraits of fauna and flora, sweeping
landscapes of eastern prairies and western escarpments,
waterways and the people who enjoy them. While it's difficult
to imagine a time when photography was not the dominant
medium, we would be remiss to forget the vital role that
traditional illustrations played during the magazine's history.
Although Outdoor Nebraska — Nebraskaland Magazine's precursor — was
primarily, and sparsely, illustrated by black-and-white photographs, paintings
and syndicated comics and cartoons prior to 1949, it was the "Bud" Pritchard
years of the 1950s through 1970s that transformed the magazine into the visual
powerhouse it is today. For a while, traditional illustrations accomplished what
photography could not.
CLAREMONT GALE "BUD" PRITCHARD
NEAL ANDERSON
PAULA DAY
