Sutro Tunnel Shaft No. 2 1875

Carleton E. Watkins's "Sutro Tunnel Shaft No. 2" (1875) is a striking example of the photographer's mastery of landscape photography. This striking black and white photograph depicts the rugged terrain of the Sierra Nevada mountains, with a focus on a small mining operation. Watkins's attention to detail and use of light and shadow capture the grandeur of the natural world and the scale of human enterprise in the American West. This image is part of a larger series documenting the construction of the Sutro Tunnel, a massive engineering feat that helped to revitalize the Comstock Lode silver mines. Watkins's photographs of this project are considered important historical documents and artistic achievements.