[Yosemite National Park, California] 1876 - 1880

Editor: This gelatin-silver print, taken by Carleton Watkins sometime between 1876 and 1880, captures Yosemite National Park. The stillness of the water is mesmerizing, like gazing into another world. It’s so serene; what are your thoughts? Curator: Oh, Watkins and Yosemite! This image, to me, whispers of a time when the American West was still being "discovered," if you can call it that. He's not just capturing a place; he's shaping a narrative. It's part document, part dreamy postcard. Notice the round format... isn't it like peering through a looking glass? What do you suppose he’s inviting us to reflect on? Editor: Perhaps the pristine nature of the West before rampant development? There’s almost a romantic idealism in the perfectly still water, yet a raw, unedited feel in the landscape. Curator: Exactly! It's romanticism tempered by a growing awareness of change, an Eden on the cusp. His lens acts almost like a preacher's, urging us to admire what’s at stake. And there's a stillness, yes, but isn’t there a hum beneath it all – the quiet urgency to preserve what we see? I like how you noticed the round format too. I think this lends a lens of romanticism or an intimate perspective to something much larger. Editor: That’s an insightful way to look at it! I initially saw just a beautiful landscape, but now I sense that call to action, almost like a plea embedded in the photograph. Curator: And that, my dear Editor, is the enduring magic of art—it evolves with our understanding, always offering new vistas to explore, just like Yosemite itself. Editor: Indeed! I’ll certainly view Watkins' work, and landscape photography in general, with fresh eyes now. Thanks for this wonderful perspective.