Kolb Studio facts for kids

The Kolb Studio is a special old building. It sits right on the edge of the Grand Canyon's South Rim in Grand Canyon Village, Arizona. For many years, from 1904 to 1976, it was a photography studio. Two brothers, Ellsworth and Emery Kolb, ran it.

Kolb Studio overlooking the Grand Canyon

A Home and Studio at the Grand Canyon

Emery C. Kolb (born 1881, died 1976) and Ellsworth L. Kolb (born 1876, died 1960) first came to the Grand Canyon's south rim in 1902. These brothers were pioneers! In 1911, they even filmed their exciting trip down the Colorado River.

The building they created was built over many years, from 1904 to 1926. It was both their family home and their photography studio. Over its 100 years at the Grand Canyon, the building changed a lot. It had two big additions and many smaller updates.

After Emery Kolb passed away in 1976, the National Park Service took over the studio. In the 1990s, the Grand Canyon Association fixed up the building. They made it into what it is today.

Now, the Grand Canyon Association runs an art gallery, a bookstore, and an information center inside. Money from the bookstore helps support the building. The store also celebrates the Kolb brothers' photos of mule riders at the Grand Canyon. The start of the Bright Angel Trail is right next to the Kolb Studio.

Fixing Up Kolb Studio

Restoration work

Between 2013 and 2014, the Grand Canyon Association worked to restore and repair this important building. They needed to fix parts of the studio that were wearing out.

This work included:

• Fixing problems with water drainage from sidewalks and walls.
• Making the concrete entrance safe for visitors.
• Repairing and replacing outside parts of the building. This included log and shingle siding, wooden beams, gutters, and porches. These repairs helped make sure the building would last a long time.
• Protecting the newly fixed outside surfaces with paint and other coatings.

More to Explore

Walkway to lower terrace

• Other buildings and structures in Grand Canyon National Park
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Grand Canyon National Park
• Rustic architecture in Arizona

Books About the Kolb Brothers

• William C Suran (1991) The Kolb Brothers of Grand Canyon (Gem Guides Book Company) ISBN: 9780938216384
• Ellsworth Leonardson Kolb (2003) The brave ones : the journals and letters of the 1911–1912 expedition down the Green and Colorado Rivers by Ellsworth L. Kolb and Emery C. Kolb (Flagstaff, AZ: Fretwater Press) ISBN: 1892327120