The Susquehanna Near Wyalusing c. 1895

William H. Rau captured this image, “The Susquehanna Near Wyalusing,” with a camera, in the late 19th or early 20th century. During this time, landscape photography was closely tied to colonial expansion and industrial development. Rau worked for the Lehigh Valley Railroad, documenting the region's natural resources and infrastructure. What stories aren't told through these images of serene landscapes? This region was not an empty, untouched space as these images portray, but the ancestral lands of Indigenous peoples, including the Susquehannock. They were forcibly displaced to make way for settlers and industry. Rau’s work invites us to consider the complex relationship between photography, land, and power. The image presents a particular narrative about the land, one that often obscures the histories and experiences of marginalized communities. Think about whose stories are included, and whose are erased. This photograph can remind us to look deeper, question the narratives we inherit, and seek out alternative perspectives.