Pohono, Bridal Veil, 900 Feet, Yosemite 1861

Carleton E. Watkins’s 1861 photograph, *Pohono, Bridal Veil, 900 Feet, Yosemite*, captures the majestic beauty of Yosemite Valley's Bridalveil Fall. Watkins was a pioneer of landscape photography, using the large-format camera to create detailed images that emphasized the grandeur of the American West. This iconic photograph, now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, showcases the cascading waterfall against the backdrop of towering granite cliffs, showcasing the dramatic scale of the natural wonder. The image exemplifies the “Picturesque” aesthetic, popular in the mid-19th century, which sought to capture the sublime beauty of nature.