Gezicht op de blokhut van James Mason Hutchings in Yosemite Valley, Californië before 1886

This is George Fiske’s photograph of James Mason Hutchings' cabin in Yosemite Valley, California, taken at an unknown date, though probably in the late 19th century. It presents us with a seemingly straightforward, documentary image of a rustic dwelling nestled within a natural landscape. However, we should consider the cultural context in which it was made. During this period, the American West was seen as a place of limitless opportunity and untamed wilderness. This photograph, then, participates in the visual construction of a mythologized West, one that idealizes the rugged individualism of settlers like Hutchings, who sought fortune and adventure in the frontier. We might consider the image as a site of cultural encounter between native populations and Western settlers; Fiske worked at a time of upheaval for native people and his photograph may have been one that helped normalize and justify this territorial incursion. To truly understand this image, we might want to consider its provenance, as well as its original context of display and reception. Research into the history of photography, or even the biography of Hutchings would certainly enrich our understanding of this unassuming image.