In the Cañon 1875

Curator: The stark contrasts in this stereograph, “In the Cañon” by John K. Hillers, immediately draw me in. It feels so monumental and isolating. Editor: I agree. The materiality of the rocks themselves—the textures, the way the light interacts—speaks to a slow, geological process. It makes you think about the labor, both human and natural, involved in shaping such a landscape. Curator: Absolutely. Hillers worked for the U.S. Geological Survey, documenting the American West. These images weren't just art; they were tools of exploration and, inevitably, colonization. The act of documenting these spaces had a profound impact on the Indigenous people and their relationship to the land. Editor: And we can't ignore the process of photography itself. The wet plate collodion process, the darkroom tents in the field, it was intensive labor to produce these images. Curator: It’s crucial to acknowledge the layered context of this image: environmental, political, and social. Editor: Indeed. It gives me much to consider. Curator: Likewise, thank you for your time.