The Cañon of Kanab Creek 1872

Editor: Here we have William Bell's "The Cañon of Kanab Creek." It's a stereograph, so it's meant to be viewed with a special viewer to appear three-dimensional. I'm struck by how small it makes me feel, the canyon walls tower so high. What can you tell me about the historical context of this image? Curator: Well, this photograph was part of the Wheeler Expedition of 1872. These surveys were commissioned by the US government, serving a dual purpose: mapping the American West and laying claim to its resources. Think about how images like this fueled Manifest Destiny and influenced policy. Editor: So, it's not just a landscape; it's a political statement? Curator: Exactly. Consider who was excluded from this narrative of the West. Whose land was being surveyed and claimed? The romantic grandeur presented here obscures the reality of displacement and resource extraction. Editor: It's unsettling to think about the power dynamics at play in what seems like a simple landscape photo. Curator: Indeed. It invites us to critically examine the role of art in shaping perceptions and reinforcing dominant ideologies, doesn't it? Editor: It certainly does. I see this image in a whole new light now.