Marion River at Bassett's Camp c. 1885

Seneca Ray Stoddard created this albumen silver print, titled Marion River at Bassett's Camp, sometime in the late 19th century. Stoddard was known for his landscape photography of the Adirondack Mountains in New York, a region undergoing significant transformation at the time. This image presents a seemingly untouched view of nature, but it's important to consider the context in which it was made. During the late 19th century, the Adirondacks were becoming increasingly popular as a tourist destination, driven by the growth of railroads and a burgeoning middle class seeking leisure and recreation. Stoddard's photographs, while appearing to celebrate the wilderness, also played a role in promoting this tourism. It is important to remember that the apparent lack of human impact in this picture is misleading; the history of the Adirondacks is a story of competing interests and changing perceptions of nature. Historians can consult archives, maps, and travel guides to better understand the complex relationship between art, commerce, and environmental change in this region.