Eureka Quartz Mill and Flume, Nevada 1875

Carleton E. Watkins, a prominent photographer known for his landscapes of the American West, captured this detailed view of the Eureka Quartz Mill and Flume in Nevada in 1875. The photograph showcases the industrial development of the American West, highlighting the impact of mining on the landscape. Watkins's use of a large format camera, the detailed perspective, and the composition emphasizing the structures' scale in relation to the natural environment, contributes to the picture's documentary significance.