Cascade Lake 1891

Here is a photograph in a book of Cascade Lake, taken by Seneca Ray Stoddard. Through Stoddard’s lens, we’re invited into an Adirondack landscape that held different meanings for various groups of people in the late 19th century. For the Indigenous people who had stewarded these lands for centuries, this region was a homeland, rich in resources and cultural significance. But for settlers, it represented opportunity—a place to extract resources like timber and establish new settlements. Stoddard's photographs often romanticized the wilderness, appealing to a growing urban population seeking escape and recreation. His images played a role in shaping perceptions of the Adirondacks, contributing to both its preservation and its commodification. Consider the emotional weight of this scene. Is it one of serene beauty, or does it hint at a more complex history of displacement and exploitation?