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Mountains Majesty: On the Summit with John Fielder will open at the History Colorado Center on January 24, 2026 following a ceremony, from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., where the commemorative stamp design will be unveiled. 

Mountains Majesty: On the Summit with John Fielder invites visitors to ascend through sun-dappled valleys, explore rugged slopes, and take in Colorado’s colorful scenery on a photographic journey through the mountains with John Fielder.

As Colorado commemorates its 150th anniversary of statehood in 2026, History Colorado’s members selected their favorite John Fielder mountain photographs. Together with History Colorado exhibition developer Katherine Mercier, museum members searched through the more than 6,000 photos donated by the late photographer to History Colorado. Their selection of iconic Fielder prints will take visitors on a visual journey across the state’s most breathtaking mountain landscapes.

“This exhibition is a love letter to John Fielder and his mountain photographs from History Colorado’s members,” said Katherine Mercier, the historian who developed this exhibition. “As History Colorado members selected photographs, I was struck by their deep emotional connection to John Fielder's work. His powerful photos of Colorado's mountains brought back personal memories of the state's beauty and wonder,” Mercier said.

Proudly displayed in the John Fielder Mezzanine Gallery – which is dedicated to the photography and conservation work of John Fielder, who devoted his life to documenting and protecting the state’s natural beauties – Mountains Majesty: On the Summit with John Fielder is the third installment in a five-year run of rotating exhibitions highlighting John’s life and contributions to the state of Colorado.

Throughout the exhibition, History Colorado members share reflections on why Fielder’s snapshots are more than pretty pictures, but contemplations of what makes Colorado special. 

“Fielder’s photos show his love for the beauty of Colorado mountains, a love that he hoped would inspire others to love and protect our spectacular heritage,” said History Colorado Member Thomas Whitmore. 

Among Fielder’s spectacular mountain photographs in the exhibition is one selected by the U.S. Postal Service to be featured on a commemorative stamp. The new stamp recognizes and honors Colorado’s sesquisemiquincentennial – 150 years since the state entered the Union and 250 years of American independence. To commemorate this twin anniversary, History Colorado will partner throughout the year with the America 250 - Colorado 150 Commission, established by Governor Jared Polis and the Colorado General Assembly and housed within History Colorado.

“John Fielder will always be ‘Colorado's Photographer’ capturing the amazing beauty of our great state. Colorado is thrilled to receive the gift of a USPS commemorative stamp for our 150th birthday. This stamp will feature the awe-inspiring splendor of Jagged Mountain in the Weminuche Wilderness, one of Colorado’s breathtaking landscapes. This special stamp truly honors what makes Colorado unique,” said Colorado Governor Jared Polis.

At the opening of Mountains Majesty on January 24, the USPS will unveil the Colorado Statehood Forever Stamp during a First Day of Issue Dedication Ceremony at the History Colorado Center.

The ceremony will run from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and will include an unveiling of the stamp design, as well as remarks by Governor Jared Polis, History Colorado President and CEO Dawn DiPrince and USPS representative Amber McReynolds. 

From 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the History Colorado Center atrium, the USPS will sell the commemorative stamps in a specially designed envelope, known as a First Day Cover. The commemorative stamps will be affixed on these decorated envelopes and canceled with the date of issue and the city in which the stamp was first released.

Interviews will be available with exhibition developer Katherine Mercier and USPS Board of Governors Chairwoman Amber McReynolds, and can be scheduled in advance with History Colorado members who participated in the photograph selection process. Media may also request access to audio, video, transcripts or photographs from an interview John Fielder provided in 2023 when he entrusted History Colorado with his collection. 

Mountains Majesty: On the Summit with John Fielder opens to the public on January 24, following the opening ceremony. Access to the John Fielder Mezzanine Gallery is included with general admission to the History Colorado Center, which is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and provides free admission to kids 18 and under.

About John Fielder
John Fielder, renowned nature photographer and publisher, worked tirelessly to promote the protection of Colorado’s ranches, open space, and wildlands during his 40-year career. Over this time he took hundreds of thousands of photos, garnered awards, advocated tirelessly for Colorado’s public lands, and influenced the passage of laws to protect public lands in Colorado and beyond.

Among his accolades are: serving as a foundational advocate in the creation of Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund (GOCO) in 1992 as well as serving as an original board member; influencing the passage of Congress’s Colorado Wilderness Act of 1993; being the first individual given an achievement award by the Aldo Leopold Foundation in 2011; receiving an honorary degree in Sustainability Studies from Colorado Mountain College in 2017; and having his photography featured in more than 50 books. 

Fielder prided himself on having effectively been to each of Colorado’s 104,984 square miles over the past 40 years. During this time he tried to capture the sublimeness of this corner of Earth that he has always felt was most beautiful. In the future John will continue to traverse the 28 mountain ranges, endless waterways, remote desert canyons, and vast plains of Colorado while contributing to the visual record of the Centennial state.

In 2023, Fielder donated more than 6,000 photos distilled from the 200,000 he had taken since 1973 and made them available to the public for personal and commercial use through History Colorado and John Fielder’s Colorado Collection.

 

About History Colorado
History Colorado is a division of the Colorado Department of Higher Education and a 501(c)3 non-profit that has served more than 75,000 students and 500,000 people in Colorado each year. It is a 146-year-old institution that operates eleven museums and historic sites, a free public research center, the Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation which provides technical assistance, educational opportunities, and other access to archaeology and historic preservation, and the History Colorado State Historical Fund (SHF), which is one of the nation’s largest state funded preservation programs of its kind. More than 70% of SHF grants are allocated in rural areas of the state. Additionally, the offices of the State Archaeologist and the State Historic Preservation Officer are part of History Colorado. 

History Colorado’s mission is to create a better future for Colorado by inspiring wonder in our past. We serve as the state’s memory, preserving and sharing the places, stories, and material culture of Colorado through educational programs, historic preservation grants, collecting, outreach to Colorado communities, the History Colorado Center and Stephen H. Hart Research Center in Denver, and 10 other museums and historic attractions statewide. History Colorado is one of only six Smithsonian Affiliates in Colorado. Visit HistoryColorado.org, or call 303-HISTORY, for more information. #HistoryColorado

 

About the America 250 - Colorado 150 Commemoration
The America 250 - Colorado 150 Commission is leading Colorado’s commemoration of 150 years of statehood and 250 years of American independence in 2026. Established by Governor Jared Polis and the Colorado General Assembly, the Commission brings together leaders from across the state to guide this historic milestone. Through its campaign, "The View From Here," the Commission invites all Coloradans to reflect on our shared history and imagine the future, recognizing Colorado’s unique legacy as the only state founded on the nation’s 100th birthday in 1876. Working alongside state agencies, regional Advisory Panel members, and local communities, the Commission will showcase signature initiatives, educational programs, exhibits and community-led events to inspire engagement statewide. For more information and ways to get involved, visit Am250CO150.org.