[Trees in Calaveras Grove and Views of Yosemite, California]

Art Historical Context

Step into the majestic landscapes of 19th-century California with E. Watkins' *Trees in Calaveras Grove Views of Yosemite, California* (ca. 1878). This intimate album of albumen silver prints, each roughly 12.5 x 12.5 cm mounted on larger sheets, captures the towering giant sequoias of Calaveras Grove and vistas of Yosemite Valley, complete with rivers, mountains, and pristine wilderness. Watkins, a pioneering photographer of the American West, viewers to these awe-inspiring sites through his meticulous glass negatives, producing richly toned images that evoke the raw power of nature. Produced during the Gilded Age's fascination with Manifest Destiny and natural wonders, these photographs hold immense historical significance. Watkins' work, including his famed Yosemite mammoth plates from the 1860s, played a key role in advocating for federal protection of these lands—Yosemite became a national park in 1890. The albumen process, dominant in the era, yielded sharp details and warm sepia hues from egg-white emulsions, allowing unprecedented fidelity to vast scales in compact formats. Collected in the Gilman Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, this album invites us to reflect on humanity's early romance with untamed America. (198 words)

About the Artist

Carleton E. Watkins · 1829–1916

Carleton E. Watkins (1829–1916), one of America's pioneering landscape photographers, was born on November 11, 1829, in Oneonta, New York, the eldest of eight children to carpenter John Watkins and innkeeper Julia. Drawn by the Gold Rush, he arrived in San Francisco in 1851 at age 22 alongside childhood friend Collis Huntington, who later became a railroad tycoon. Initially working as a carpenter ...