Catskill Mountain House (from Sketchbook) 1834 - 1838

This sketch of the Catskill Mountain House was made by John William Casilear sometime in the mid-19th century. It was a period marked by the burgeoning tourism industry in America, and the popularity of destinations like the Catskill Mountains. Casilear, associated with the Hudson River School, captures this iconic hotel, which catered to a predominantly white, middle, and upper-class clientele. The sketch, with its delicate lines, presents a serene, almost romantic view, yet it subtly hints at the socio-economic dynamics at play. While celebrating the natural beauty, it also implicitly acknowledges the displacement and exclusion experienced by other communities. This tension – between the celebration of nature and the societal structures influencing access to it – invites us to reflect on whose stories are told and whose are left out. It asks us to consider the full, complex picture of this moment in history.