The Domes, from the Sentinel Domes, Yosemite
c. 1865–1866
Medium
mammoth albumen print from wet collodion negative
Dimensions
image: 39.6 × 52.4 cm · matted: 71.1 × 81.3 cm
Classification
Photograph
Department
Photography
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
2002.44
Tags
About this artwork
Although prolific in all types of commercial photography, Carleton Watkins was best known for his majestic images of Yosemite Valley. He first transported his mammoth-plate camera there in 1861 and returned many times to record America's natural treasure. Besides establishing aesthetic and technical standards of excellence for landscape photography, Watkins's work was instrumental in passing the 1864 Congressional bill enacted to protect Yosemite from development. In this panoramic view, he disp...