  (Abridged) The Las Campanas Infrared Survey, based on broad-band optical and
near-infrared photometry, is designed to robustly identify a statistically
significant and representative sample of evolved galaxies at redshifts z>1. We
have completed an H-band imaging survey over 1.1 square degrees of sky in six
separate fields. The average 5 sigma detection limit in a four arcsecond
diameter aperture is H ~ 20. Here we describe the design of the survey, the
observation strategies, data reduction techniques, and object identification
procedures. We present sample near-infrared and optical photometric catalogs
for objects identified in two survey fields. We perform object detection in all
bandpasses and identify ~ 54,000 galaxies over 1,408 square arcminutes of sky
in the two fields. Of these galaxies, ~ 14,000 are detected in the H-band and ~
2,000 have the colors of evolved galaxies, I - H >3, at z > 1. We find that (1)
the differential number counts N(m) for the H-band detected objects has a slope
of 0.44 at H < 19 and 0.27 for H > 19. In addition, we find that (2) the
differential number counts for the H detected red objects has a slope of 0.85
at H < 20 and 0.32 at H > 20, with a mean surface density ~ 3,000 degree^{-2}
mag^{-1} at H=20. Finally, we find that (3) galaxies with red optical to
near-IR colors (I-H > 3) constitute ~ 20% of the H detected galaxies at H ~ 21,
but only 2% at H = 19. We show that red galaxies are strongly clustered, which
results in a strong field to field variation in their surface density.
Comparisons of observations and predictions based on various formation
scenarios indicate that these red galaxies are consistent with mildly evolving
early-type galaxies at z ~ 1, although with a significant amount of on-going
star formation as indicated by the large scatter in their V-I colors.
