[Yosemite National Park, California] 1876 - 1880

Carleton E. Watkins’s 1876–80 photograph, “[Yosemite National Park, California]”, showcases the dramatic landscape of Yosemite Valley, California. This albumen print, part of a larger series documenting the region, uses a circular format, capturing the grandeur of a towering rock formation overlooking a valley clearing. The photograph depicts a small building in the foreground, suggesting the burgeoning presence of human development within this natural wonder. This work exemplifies Watkins’s pioneering role in documenting the American West, and its influence on subsequent generations of photographers remains prominent today.