Cleft Rock, on East Mountaino, No. 46 from the series "Devil's Lake and Vicinity"
1870/1908
Medium
Albumen print, stere
Dimensions
Each image: 8 × 7.4 cm (3 3/16 × 2 15/16 in.); Card: 8.9 × 17.7 cm (3 9/16 × 7 in.)
Classification
photography
Department
Photography and Media
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
198389
Art Historical Context
Henry Hamilton Bennett, a pioneering American landscape photographer, captured the dramatic natural wonders of Wisconsin's Devil's Lake region in his series *Devil's Lake and Vicinity *Cleft Rock, on Mountaino, No. 46* showcases a striking geological formation—a towering cleft in the rock face—highlighting the area's rugged beauty and ancient sandstone cliffs. Produced between 1870 and 1908, this image reflects Bennett's passion for documenting the Midwest's scenic treasures, which drew tourists from across the nation. As an albumen print stereograph, the work's dual-image format (8 × 7.4 cm ...
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...