Teams on the Summit 1867

This stereograph, likely made in the 1860s by Thomas Houseworth, is a double image printed on cardstock. Stereographs like this one were popular means of photographic reproduction at the time, and were viewed through a special device to create an immersive, three-dimensional experience for the viewer. The image shows teams of horses and wagons stopped on a mountain road, likely in the Sierra Nevada. These “teams” were essential to the supply chain which built the Central Pacific Railroad, carrying lumber, food, and other materials to the construction sites. The very making of this stereograph participates in that system, promising distant views brought home for easy consumption. The presence of the Central Pacific Railroad logo on the card emphasizes this connection. Consider the intensive labor required to build a railroad, which included many immigrant workers who risked their lives to complete the job. So, while this photograph may seem like a simple depiction of a mountain scene, it also speaks to a complex history of labor, industrialization, and westward expansion.