[Road Through Flooded Land] 1890s - 1900s

Morgan Whitney made this photograph, "Road Through Flooded Land," using a chemical process on paper that would have been fairly common at the time. This process allowed for a mechanical reproduction of a scene, which, in this case, appears to be a rural road obstructed by flood waters. The materiality of photography here, with its silvery, slightly degraded surface, is key to understanding the image. Note how the dark and light tones interact. How the flooded landscape is not just represented, but also seems to be made of water, with the light reflecting off the surface of the photograph. Although photography can appear as pure documentation, it always comes with a point of view. In this case, we might think about who would have been most impacted by this flooded road. Perhaps those who relied on it for commerce or daily travel. Whitney's attention to this scene elevates it, prompting us to consider the connections between nature, labor, and the everyday lives of those who navigated this challenging terrain.