Among the many treasures at the Historical Society is a scrapbook by photographer Otis Aultman. Aultman came to El Paso where he first worked for Scott Photo Company, was later in partnership with Robert Dorman, and eventually owned his own studio.
By 1911 El Paso was a gathering place for many of the main personalities of the Mexican Revolutionqv-Francisco Madero, Francisco (Pancho) Villa, Pascual Orozcoqqvand after the shooting began, many American newsmen also flocked to El Paso to cover the event. Aultman was a man in the right place at the right time. He photographed the battle of Casas Grandes, the first battle of Juárez in May 1911, and the Orozco rebellion in 1912. He was a favorite of Pancho Villa, who called Aultman “Banty Rooster” because he was only 5’4″ tall. Aultman worked for the International News Service and Pathé News and experimented with cinematography. In 1916 he was one of the first photographers to arrive at Columbus, New Mexico, after the famous raid on that town by the Villistas.