Bridal Veil Fall, 940 feet, Yosemite 1870 - 1874

Carleton Watkins made this albumen print, "Bridal Veil Fall, 940 feet, Yosemite," during a time of significant westward expansion in the United States. Watkins's photographs played a crucial role in shaping perceptions and promoting settlement of the American West. His work invites us to consider the complex relationship between landscape, representation, and power. Watkins's sublime and picturesque depictions of Yosemite contributed to the myth of untouched wilderness, even as the presence of Native peoples was systematically erased. The photograph also suggests questions about gender and representation. The waterfall's title, "Bridal Veil," evokes purity and femininity, projecting a gendered narrative onto the landscape. It’s fascinating how Watkins invites us to see the land itself as feminine, ripe for claiming and possessing. Watkins's work speaks to the intertwined histories of environmentalism, colonialism, and the construction of American identity, capturing the emotional resonance of a landscape laden with cultural and historical significance.