Gray's and Torry's Peaks from Graymont c. 1870s

Curator: William Henry Jackson’s "Gray's and Torry's Peaks from Graymont" presents a vast mountainous landscape. Jackson, born in 1843, captured this scene, now held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It feels lonely, doesn’t it? The way the peaks fade into the distance... makes me think of that endless Western frontier. Curator: Indeed. The photograph, beyond its aesthetic appeal, documents the westward expansion and resource extraction, reflecting the impact on indigenous populations and the environment. Editor: It's a beautiful desolation, though. Even now I can almost smell the pines and feel that thin mountain air. Maybe a touch of melancholy, too? Curator: Perhaps, as the image can be interpreted through a lens of environmental history, prompting reflections on land use, conservation, and the legacy of Manifest Destiny. Editor: Thinking about it that way gives the picture some bite. I saw beauty, but there's so much more simmering beneath the surface.