The Yosemite Falls, from Glacier Point 1878 - 1881

Carleton Watkins created this albumen print of "The Yosemite Falls, from Glacier Point," sometime in the late 19th century, a period marked by westward expansion and the romanticization of the American landscape. Watkins's photographs played a crucial role in shaping perceptions of the West, influencing both tourism and conservation efforts. However, these images often overlooked the complex history of Indigenous dispossession that made such landscapes accessible to white settlers and photographers like Watkins. While Watkins captured the sublime beauty of Yosemite, his work also participated in a narrative that marginalized the Native populations who had lived in the valley for centuries. The sheer scale of Yosemite, framed through Watkins's lens, evokes a sense of awe and insignificance. It speaks to the emotional experience of encountering such grandeur, inviting reflection on our place within the vastness of nature. Watkins's photograph stands as a testament to both the allure and the complicated legacy of the American West, prompting us to consider whose stories are told—and whose are left out—when we celebrate these iconic landscapes.