Passage of the Dalles, Oregon 1867

Carleton Watkins made this albumen silver print of the Passage of the Dalles, Oregon, using the wet-plate collodion process. This photographic technique, popular in the mid-19th century, required meticulous preparation, as the photographic material had to be sensitized, exposed, and developed within a short time frame. The choice of the wet-plate method had a direct influence on the image. Its capacity to capture minute detail, as well as the tonal range, resulted in a very sharp and detailed image with soft gradations of light and shadow. Watkins's engagement with the process went beyond technical skill; it spoke to the spirit of exploration, innovation, and, in some ways, exploitation that defined the era. Watkins's photographs played a crucial role in shaping perceptions and fueling the economic exploitation of the American West, supporting narratives of progress, development, and resource extraction. The very act of making such images, of course, required significant labor, from mining the silver, to preparing the glass plates, to the physical transportation of equipment. So, we must not only see its aesthetic achievement, but also understand the socio-economic system within which it was produced.