Grand Geyser c. 1880s

Editor: This is F. Jay Haynes's photograph, "Grand Geyser" from around 1887. It has this beautiful sepia tone and captures the geyser in full eruption. What strikes me is its almost performative aspect. How do you see it? Curator: It is performative, isn't it? Haynes was documenting the West, effectively creating a narrative of sublime, untouched wilderness. Consider how these images were used to promote tourism and, more subtly, a specific vision of American identity rooted in notions of exploration and conquest. Who was this landscape really for, and at whose expense was it "untouched"? Editor: That’s a good point. I hadn’t considered the implications in terms of land ownership and indigenous populations. Curator: Exactly. The image becomes more than just a geyser; it's a piece of a larger ideological project. What do you make of the composition? Editor: The dark trees framing the light geyser draw the eye upwards, almost like a stage. Thank you for making me think about this photograph in a new light! Curator: My pleasure. It's important to consider whose stories these images tell, and whose they omit.