Gezicht op de Middle Cathedral Rock in de Yosemite Valley before 1868

Curator: This albumen print, likely from before 1868, by Carleton Watkins, presents a view of Middle Cathedral Rock in Yosemite Valley. Editor: Immediately, I see this enormous stone face—a primal power staring out, something eternal. What was it about the sublime that gripped 19th-century imaginations? Curator: Well, Watkins was working in an era defined by a growing industrial expansion, coupled with a romantic idealization of untouched landscapes. He harnessed photography's precision to meet market demands, meticulously documenting Yosemite. It was about demonstrating mastery, of craft, and of land. Consider the labour involved, setting up the camera in rugged terrain with fragile equipment and developing materials on site. It's fascinating to imagine. Editor: And Yosemite itself! A sacred place for indigenous tribes; its imposing formations resonate with spiritual and symbolic weight. This composition emphasizes the vertical, leading your eye toward the sky; a potent image speaking of nature's grand spiritual architecture—compare this to how we depict cathedrals in art. The Rock here *is* the cathedral. Curator: Precisely, it embodies that negotiation between industry, culture and land use that also affected native inhabitants. Watkins was hired to document landscape to generate expansion and support capitalist endeavours. He did not photograph his landscapes out of pure aesthetics. Editor: That friction is visible—nature presented as this dominating, awe-inspiring force ready to be harnessed. But ultimately, those imposing symbols speak of deeper, older connections—humanity dwarfed by forces far beyond its control. Curator: The scale of Watkins’ ambition is clear. It makes one wonder how this picture was sold. What stories did it represent to its buyers? It truly offers an opening to many reflections, doesn’t it? Editor: Absolutely. Gazing at this stone sentinel, I am left reflecting about timeless forces—both natural and cultural— that mold our perceptions, and shape our world.