Gardens surrounding the Indian Pueblo of Zuni, in which are raised a variety of vegetables, such as peppers, onions, garlic &c, No. 18 from the series "Geographical Explorations and Surveys West of the 100th Meridian"

Art Historical Context

Timothy O’Sullivan created this stereograph in 1873 while photographing for the Wheeler Survey, one of several government expeditions charting lands west of the 100th meridian. The double image captures the terraced gardens surrounding Zuni Pueblo, where community members cultivated peppers, onions, garlic, and other vegetables. Printed as an albumen stereograph on a small card, the work was designed to be viewed through a stereoscope, giving nineteenth-century audiences a vivid, three-dimensional sense of place. O’Sullivan’s careful framing emphasizes both the ingenuity of Zuni agriculture and the dramatic Southwestern landscape. As part of a larger series documenting topography, settlements, and resources, the photograph served scientific and promotional purposes, helping the federal government understand and publicize the region’s potential. Today it offers a rare, early photographic record of Indigenous farming practices preserved in the Art Institute of Chicago’s collection. The stereo format itself was innovative for its time, allowing viewers to feel immersed in distant locations without traveling. O’Sullivan’s crisp detail and balanced composition reflect his background as a documentary photographer who brought the same precision to Western surveys that he had earlier applied to Civil War scenes.

About the Artist

Timothy O'Sullivan · 1840–1882

Timothy H. O'Sullivan (c. 1840–1882) emerged as one of America's pioneering photographers during a transformative era. His early life remains sparsely documented, with records suggesting he was born either in New York City or Ireland before immigrating young, possibly growing up on Staten Island. As a teenager, he apprenticed under Mathew Brady at his Fulton Street gallery in New York, mastering w...