Pikes Peak from the Garden of the Gods c. 1870s

Editor: This photograph, "Pikes Peak from the Garden of the Gods" by William Henry Jackson, captures a majestic landscape. I’m struck by the way the light emphasizes the scale of the rock formations and the distant mountains. What does this photograph tell us about the American West at this time? Curator: Jackson’s photographs, like this one, played a crucial role in shaping perceptions of the West. They were instrumental in promoting tourism and settlement. Consider how the composition, a sublime landscape with a tiny carriage at the bottom, reinforces the idea of nature's grandeur and man's place within it. Editor: So, it's not just a pretty picture, it’s also about promoting a certain vision of the West? Curator: Exactly. Think about who had access to these images and what narratives they reinforced about expansion and progress. The absence of indigenous people, for example, is a significant omission. Editor: That’s a perspective I hadn't fully considered. It makes me wonder about the stories these images deliberately exclude. Curator: Precisely. Analyzing these visual narratives is key to understanding the complex history of the American West and the role photography played in it.