LANDER - Celebrated Wyoming artist and photojournalist Michael McClure died here Friday, leaving behind a wife and daughter and a body of professional work considered important to the state and to the nation.

His death at the age of 70 followed a long illness.

Amy McClure, his wife of 27 years, said he continued to work almost until the end. McClure is also survived by his daughter, Molly, four siblings and numerous extended family members.

McClure began his journalism career as a photographer for United Press International and later became chief of photography for the Casper Star-Tribune. He also worked as a freelance journalist.

But McClure is perhaps best known for his lifelong endeavor to document Wyoming as it changed over the last half century, as it went through boom and bust cycles and as many of its historical markers and artifacts deteriorated and disappeared.

In 2007 he received the Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts. At the time, Gov. Dave Freudenthal noted that McClure's extensive body of "outstanding work" has been celebrated regionally and recognized nationally. The governor also honored McClure for dedicating his life to the advancement of the arts, and for his teaching.

McClure's 74-photograph exhibit, "Wyoming: Tradition and Transition," has been housed at the Wyoming State Museum and displayed throughout the state since the 1980s. This border-to-border photographic essay on the Cowboy State is considered by admirers and colleagues to be an unmatched historical documentation of Wyoming in the latter half of the 20th century.

His 2007 photographic book, "Artifact: A Cultural Geography of Wyoming," began as a 90-photograph exhibit documenting artifacts of human activity in remote locations throughout the state.

McClure's massive body of work will only gain in importance over time, as the state continues to change, admirers and friends said Monday.

Dan Whipple, author and journalist formerly with the Star-Tribune as well as the High Country News, knew and worked with McClure for decades. He said McClure was not only a good friend, but a great artist.

"I think when people look back, Mike's pictures are going to be the defining statement about what happened in the second half of the 20th century in Wyoming," Whipple said.

Dan Neal, former Star-Tribune editor, as well as a friend and a colleague of McClure, said some of the photographer's greatest assets were his dedication to his craft, his sense of composition and his sense of humor.

"Of the people I worked with at the Star-Tribune, Mike McClure's work will be remembered the longest," Neal said. "His landscapes are so important to the state of Wyoming. He may have taken more photographs of the Red Desert than any other human being."

Sara Wiles, Lander photographer and longtime friend, said McClure will be missed not only for his contribution to the arts and the historical record in Wyoming, but for his personal generosity.

"He spent basically 50 years of his life documenting Wyoming, and his archive of photographs were just an unbelievable account of Wyoming and the changes that the state has seen during that time period," Wiles said.

On a personal level, McClure always found time to offer pointers and advice as she developed her skill and technique as a photographer, she said.

"He was my go-to person," Wiles said. Fighting off tears, she added, "I just thought a lot of him."

McClure was born April 17, 1938, in Detroit, Mich., but moved to Wyoming when he was 10. His mother, Dr. Mary Arlene Muggleberg, moved to Fremont County in 1948 to be a country doctor.

Everyone knew his mother in this part of the state, and they all called her "Dr. Mary," Amy McClure said.

He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1955 to 1959 as an aviation electronics technician in the United States, Japan, Guam and Hawaii.

After an honorable discharge, he earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from Wayne State University.

He studied photography with Ansel Adams and John Sexton, among others. In 1980, he won a grant from the Wyoming Council for the Humanities and the Union Pacific Railroad for "Wyoming: Tradition and Transition."

He also worked on the Wind River Indian Reservation for several years in the Wyoming Indian school district and documented life there through his photography.

Reporter Chris Merrill can be reached at chris.merrill@trib.com or at (307) 267-6722.