Moraines on Clear Creek, Valley of the Arkansas, Colorado c. 1870

Editor: This is William Henry Jackson’s photograph, "Moraines on Clear Creek, Valley of the Arkansas, Colorado." It’s a stunning landscape, but also feels...staged, somehow. What role did photography play in shaping perceptions of the American West at this time? Curator: That "staged" feeling is key. Jackson was often commissioned to document the West, influencing policy and public opinion. Think about how this romanticized view might have encouraged settlement and resource extraction, overlooking the perspectives of Indigenous peoples. Editor: So, it’s not just a pretty picture; it's a political document. Curator: Exactly. How do you think images like this contributed to a specific narrative about American progress and expansion? Editor: I never considered the power dynamics embedded in landscape photography before. Curator: It reveals how art can both reflect and shape societal values and power structures.