At the Mouth of Cold Water Canyon, Dells of the Wisconsin
c. 1900
Medium
gelatin silver print
Dimensions
image: 18.9 × 24 cm (7 7/16 × 9 7/16 in.) sheet: 18.9 × 24.6 cm (7 7/16 × 9 11/16 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of the UBS Art Collection
Accession Number
2023.30.24
Art Historical Context
Henry Hamilton Bennett’s “At the Mouth of Cold Water Canyon, Dells of the Wisconsin” captures the dramatic rock formations and quiet waterways of Wisconsin’s famed Dells region around 1900. Bennett, a pioneering American landscape photographer, spent decades documenting this area, helping to transform it from a remote natural site into a celebrated tourist destination. His gelatin silver print reveals the subtle textures of stone and water with remarkable clarity, inviting viewers to appreciate the untouched beauty of the American Midwest. The choice of gelatin silver print, a medium that ros...
About the Artist
Henry Hamilton Bennett · 1843–1908
Henry Hamilton Bennett (1843–1908) was a pioneering American photographer whose breathtaking images of the Wisconsin Dells transformed a rugged river gorge into one of the nation's premier tourist destinations. Born in Farnham, Quebec, Canada, on January 15, 1843, Bennett moved with his family to Brattleboro, Vermont, before settling in Kilbourn City (now Wisconsin Dells), Wisconsin, in 1857 at ag...