The Sentinels - Calaveras Grove 1876 - 1880

Curator: Well, hello there! Editor: This is "The Sentinels - Calaveras Grove," an albumen print photograph by Carleton Watkins, probably taken between 1876 and 1880. Looking at these towering sequoias, I feel an overwhelming sense of awe, almost a spiritual feeling. It really puts things in perspective. What do you see when you look at this photograph? Curator: A doorway to a silent, breathing world, you know? The way Watkins uses the circular frame is almost like looking through a telescope into a different realm. And those sentinels! Stoic guardians overseeing this delicate balance between humanity and nature. They are old... so old. Almost like a grandparent to us. Editor: The small figures at the base really highlight the trees’ incredible scale. Curator: Absolutely! It’s not just about size, but about time. Think about the history these trees have witnessed, you know? It reminds us of our fleeting presence. Watkins, through his lens, urges us to consider our impact on this planet. Does that circular frame also make you feel, perhaps, trapped? Editor: Trapped... I hadn’t considered that. Perhaps trapped in a single perspective, only seeing what Watkins wants us to see? Curator: Precisely! The photo offers this romanticized view of nature... I find myself yearning for a world that probably never truly existed. He masterfully created an emotion with light, and shadow, and scale, framing our perceptions. Editor: So, it's both a celebration and a subtle commentary? Curator: That's the magic, isn't it? Watkins invites us to marvel at the natural world, while quietly prompting us to consider our place within it, which ultimately also reflects on our relationship to time. Editor: I'm going to think differently about landscape photography now.