High Rock Spring c. 1865

This is a photograph titled High Rock Spring, made by Deloss Barnum sometime between 1850 and 1870. It's a card photograph, a popular format at the time, made by applying a photographic print to a thicker paper card. The image shows a man drawing water from High Rock Spring. What is remarkable about this image is that it's not an artist's depiction, but a photograph, produced through a chemical and mechanical process. It gives us a rare, objective view of the spring. The photographic process itself, while seemingly detached, was a significant form of labor. Each image required careful preparation, exposure, and development. The photographer, like any craftsman, was deeply involved in the manipulation of materials and technologies. Consider the broader social context, as the rise of photography coincided with the industrial revolution and the increasing commodification of leisure. Images like this one promoted High Rock Spring as a destination, contributing to the growth of tourism. So, this photograph reminds us that even the most seemingly objective images are the products of labor, technology, and social forces.