Cliff House and Seal Rock 1868 - 1869

Curator: Carleton Watkins took this albumen print, "Cliff House and Seal Rock," sometime between 1868 and 1869. It's currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: It has this haunting quality, almost dreamlike. The sepia tones and soft focus give the scene an ethereal feel. Curator: Watkins’ work, especially his landscapes, played a vital role in shaping the perception and promotion of the American West. Think about the historical context – this image coincided with increased westward expansion and debates about land use and conservation. Editor: Right, and you see that industrializing tension right here: a carefully constructed house sitting right at the edge of untamed, elemental forces, waves and rocks. This is an albumen print, right? Such a specific, labor-intensive process, coating paper with egg whites… talk about materiality mediating nature! Curator: Absolutely. Watkins chose albumen for its clarity and detail. These images were not just art; they functioned as promotional tools, influencing policy and attracting investment. The Cliff House itself was a leisure destination, emblematic of San Francisco's burgeoning tourism industry. Editor: Leisure built on labor, though, hidden away in the darkroom. It's intriguing to consider the environmental impact too. All those chemicals, the industrial scale of production... this romantic vista comes at a material cost that’s usually out of frame. Curator: True, there's an inherent contradiction. On one hand, we see the sublime beauty of nature celebrated in the Hudson River School aesthetic, but it's also intertwined with capitalist expansion. Editor: That contrast—the desire to contain nature, and its refusal to be fully contained—makes it an image I find hard to forget. Curator: I agree. Watkins captured a moment of transformation in the American West, a vision laden with social and political significance that still resonates today.