Ogden, Utah c. 1880s

Editor: This is "Ogden, Utah" by William Henry Jackson. The sepia tones give it a nostalgic feel, but I also notice how small the town seems against the vast mountains. What statement do you think Jackson was trying to make? Curator: It's about Manifest Destiny, isn't it? Jackson’s photographs, commissioned by railroad companies, were instruments of expansion. Note how the railway bisects the land, promising progress, while also shrinking the landscape. Editor: So, it’s about selling an idea of the West, not just documenting it? Curator: Precisely. The image romanticizes expansion while erasing the Indigenous presence and the environmental impact. Editor: I hadn’t thought of it that way. It's more complex than just a pretty landscape. Curator: Exactly, and considering its role in shaping public perception makes it a powerful piece of propaganda.