Up the Valley, Yosemite

Carleton E. Watkins's photograph captures Yosemite Valley's monumental granite formations and forest floor along the Merced River. Using large-format albumen printing, Watkins rendered geological detail and atmospheric depth with unprecedented clarity. His series of Yosemite views, made during the early 1860s, established the valley as a visual icon and influenced landscape photography's technical and compositional standards. These images circulated widely through stereoscopic cards and exhibition prints, shaping nineteenth-century perceptions of Western wilderness and contributing to arguments for public land preservation.