Lower Yosemite Fall, 1,600 feet 1870 - 1874

Carleton E. Watkins's "Lower Yosemite Fall, 1,600 feet," taken between 1870 and 1874, captures the grandeur of the Yosemite Valley. The large-format photograph, now housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, showcases the cascading Lower Yosemite Fall through a framing of trees and a foreground of smooth, rounded stones. Watkins's meticulous detail and use of light and shadow bring the natural beauty of the fall to life, highlighting the scale of the waterfall and the surrounding landscape. Watkins's images of Yosemite contributed greatly to the area becoming a national park, ensuring its preservation.