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Poetry Friday: Poetry In Motion For Kolb Brothers On Colorado River

Courtesy of Cline Library, Special Collections and Archives, Kolb Collection, Box/Folder 16.1875

The Kolb brothers became a fixture at the Grand Canyon in the early 1900’s when they set up a photo booth at the top of the Bright Angel Trail to take pictures of pack mules and hikers. In 1911, they went on a Colorado River trip, retracing John Wesley Powell’s journey, and took the first-ever film footage of the rapids. On that trip, Emery Kolb wrote a poem about a chance meeting with a miner, the sole-survivor of a separate river expedition. KNAU listener Nettie Klingler came across it during her work as a volunteer ranger at Grand Canyon National Park.  In this week’s Poetry Friday segment, Nettie gives a recitation of ‘The Brave Ones’. 

Nettie Klingler, volunteer ranger at Grand Canyon National Park:

So because I became so interested in the Kolb brothers, I started doing research and found there is mountainous pieces of information at the Cline Library in Special Collections. And so I went there and started going through boxes. And as I went through the boxes, I found this poem actually written in Emery’s own hand.

The river trip was very significant because they met a lot of interesting people along the way. On one area of the river they met this old miner, and he’s in a boat that is totally unsuited for the Grand Canyon. And after they spent some time with him, Emery sits down and writes this poem, ‘The Brave Ones’. 

The Brave Ones, by Emery Kolb 1911

Plunging down the Colorado

In dark canyons every day

It was pleasant an old timer

To meet along the way.

Credit Courtesy of Cline Library, Special Collections and Archives, Kolb Collection, Box/Folder 16.1875
1 of 2 'originals' of Emery Kolb's poem The Brave Ones. It's likely that this copy was written on the river, and the other written afterward in a 'cleaned-up' version

Dropping gold pan there he hailed us

“Come ashore boys, what’s the news?

Is but two all of your party,

Or what number did you lose?”

So we anchored, as t’was evening

And the information gave

Then he slapped us on the shoulder

And said, “Boy’s, you’re mighty brave.”

“I’ve had comrades,” he continued,

“That in yonder waves were tossed

And I’m working now alone boys,

Needn’t tell you they were lost.”

Credit Courtesy of Cline Library, Special Collections and Archives, Kolb Collection, Box/Folder 16.1875
Miner Charles Smith, the lone survivor of his Colorado River trip in 1911. The photo was taken by the Kolb brothers, Emery and Ellsworth, who encountered Smith on their own river trip

“Yes, ‘tis wicked,” I admitted

“But should this water be our grave,

There are other of our party,

And ‘tis they you should call brave.”

Now imagine if you’re able

This grim old timer’s look

As I handed him a picture

I had kept in my note book.

Grand Canyon volunteer ranger Nettie Klingler dressed as Blanche Kolb, Emery's wife, in front of the Kolb brothers studio. The rangers perform interpretive historical reenactments along the South Rim.

“Ah, the brave ones!” said the miner,

”I understand the tale

‘Tis an anxious wife and baby

Waiting at Bright Angel Trail.”

Gillian Ferris was the News Director and Managing Editor for KNAU.