[Yosemite National Park, California] 1876 - 1880

This is Carleton Watkins' photograph of Yosemite National Park, taken sometime in the late 19th century. During this period, America was expanding westward, often displacing Indigenous populations. Watkins’s photographs, commissioned to document the landscape, played a role in shaping perceptions and encouraging the appropriation of these territories. In this circular print, we see a fallen tree dominating the foreground, a stark reminder of nature’s power but also of its vulnerability. The solitary figure in the background invites us to reflect on the complex relationship between humanity and nature. Watkins’s work romanticizes the landscape, yet it also subtly acknowledges the impact of human presence. Consider the emotional weight of this image. It asks us to reflect on our role in the environment, challenging us to consider whose stories are told and whose are omitted in the visual narratives of the American West.