The Foreman Collection is a collection of original negatives produced by Albert Lee Foreman. Foreman was born on October 18th, 1883 in Sheridan, Montana to William and Mary Foreman. He was one of seven children and his family moved to Virginia City, Montana in 1890 when he was seven. Foreman’s first camera was a Kodak folding camera, but he soon became obsessed with photography, acquiring a 5x7 in. glass plate camera around 1900. As a teenager, Foreman photographed his family and friends at their homes or on outings in the Madison Valley of Montana.

Albert Foreman began working for the Economy “Little Varney” Power Plant on the Madison River near Cameron, Montana around 1906. Following his work for the Economy Power Plant, Foreman worked for the Nunn Company (later purchased by the Montana Power Company) at the Madison dam and power station. He took many of his photographs while working for Montana Power from 1910-1940, documenting the construction of the aqueduct pipes from the dam to the power station. Albert married Mary Scott Campbell on June 5th, 1926 and was hired as the Madison power plant foreman about the same time. Albert Lee Foreman died August 24th, 1969.

The Foreman collection was donated to the Museum of the Rockies in 1988. The collection contains over 300 original glass plate negatives. The majority of the collection documents Madison Valley locations and the construction and maintenance of the Montana Power Company Madison River dam and power station.