Tent naast Bow Lake before 1897

This is a photograph, printed in a book, of a tent next to Bow Lake, taken by Walter Dwight Wilcox, a writer, photographer and surveyor famous for documenting the Canadian Rockies. This image gives us insight into the culture of leisure and exploration that defined the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Wilcox was part of a wave of travelers who ventured into the Canadian wilderness, not just for scientific or economic gain, but for personal enrichment. The book itself, with its blend of scientific observation and personal narrative, reflects a desire to make these remote landscapes accessible to a wider audience. What is the public role of this art? This photograph is a social document, reflecting both the beauty of the Canadian Rockies and the social values of the time, of exploration and an interest in the natural world. To learn more, consult Wilcox’s diaries and correspondence.