Lake Lillian, Big Cottonwood Canon, Utah c. 1880

Editor: Here we have Charles Roscoe Savage's photograph, "Lake Lillian, Big Cottonwood Canon, Utah". It's a stunning landscape, but also feels staged, almost like a backdrop. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Savage's work reflects the 19th-century project of taming and documenting the American West. Consider how these images were circulated—as promotional material, shaping perceptions and encouraging settlement. Do you think that influences how we view it today? Editor: Definitely. Knowing its purpose shifts my perspective. It's less about pure nature and more about selling a vision. Curator: Precisely. Understanding the social and political context is crucial to interpreting images like these. I learned something new as well.