Gezicht op Sequoia bomen en een paardenwagen in de Yosemite Valley before 1871

This photograph of sequoia trees and a horse-drawn wagon in Yosemite Valley was taken by John P. Soule, likely in the 1860s or 70s. The albumen print was a popular method at the time. It involved coating paper with egg white and then silver nitrate, creating a light-sensitive surface. Soule carefully posed his shot, likely using a large format camera, to capture the grandeur of these giant trees alongside the diminutive presence of a wagon. The process itself, involving careful darkroom work, contributes to the image's sharp tonal range and detail. Consider how the very act of photographing these trees—converting them into a commodity for widespread consumption—mirrors the larger economic forces at play. As the West opened up, so too did the opportunity for industrial exploitation of natural resources. In that sense, this image is not just a celebration of nature, but also a document deeply entwined with the expansion of capitalist enterprise. It invites us to consider the relationship between representation, consumption, and environmental change.