Gezicht op Acacia Park te Colorado Springs before 1893

This anonymous print, "Gezicht op Acacia Park te Colorado Springs," captures a moment in a public space during an unknown time. Colorado Springs, founded in the late 19th century, was envisioned as a resort town, a haven for health and leisure, catering to a predominantly white, upper-class clientele. The print offers a glimpse into the constructed paradise of Acacia Park, a space designed to project an image of tranquility and natural beauty. However, this idyllic scene obscures the realities of dispossession and exclusion upon which such spaces were often built. The erasure of Indigenous presence and the imposition of a specific aesthetic reflect broader power dynamics at play. What emotional responses does this image evoke in you, knowing the complex history it represents?