Strait of Carquennes, from South Vallejo 1868 - 1869

Carleton E. Watkins, a prominent photographer of the American West, captured the "Strait of Carquennes, from South Vallejo" in 1868–69. The large-format albumen print showcases the picturesque landscape of California’s Carquinez Strait. Watkins’s use of a wide-angle lens and elevated vantage point emphasizes the vastness of the scene, with the water, hills, and distant shores seamlessly blending. The detailed depiction of structures on the shoreline—a pier, a farmhouse, and small outbuildings—further adds to the realism of the photograph. This artwork, now part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, exemplifies Watkins’s commitment to documenting the grandeur of the American West.