Mijnwerkersstad Leadville gezien vanaf Carbonate Hill in Colorado c. 1860 - 1900

This photograph, taken by William Henry Jackson, captures Leadville, Colorado, a mining town, from Carbonate Hill. Notice how the town unfurls, a tapestry of human endeavor against the natural world. Dominating the scene are the mines, their structures reaching into the sky, and a contrast between organic, almost soft-looking mounds of dirt and very square buildings. One is immediately reminded of other times and places in which the organic and the artificial exist in such close proximity. Think, for instance, of images of ancient Mesopotamia, with Ziggurats rising from the alluvial plain. Consider the psychological impact: the mountains offer a sublime backdrop, evoking awe and perhaps fear, as a constant reminder of the untamed wilderness. This symbol is in stark contrast to the city, connoting a sense of security and civilization. Yet the mines also represent a disruption, an intrusion into the earth's domain. The story told is not linear, but circular. Each generation unearths its potential, building upon the past, only to be confronted with nature's immutable presence.