CARLETON WATKINS
1829-1916
Carleton Watkins traveled
west in the 1850’s in search of gold. Instead of finding gold, however, he
became known for his photographs of Yosemite, the Big Trees, and other natural wonders, mainly in California. He visited the Valley and Big Trees areas seven
times, the first trip being in 1861. Watkins was the
main photographer for the California Geological Survey in 1864-65. Survey
members eventually named the peak above Mirror Lake, Mount Watkins, in his honor. He was also well known for
his “mammoth” camera. It was, when extended, three feet long and thirty inches
wide and could produce a negative as large as 20x24 inches. He also carried a
stereo view camera. These cameras, as well as tripods, glass plates, portable
darkroom, etc. weighed as much as 2,000 pounds and had to be transported by
mule. Ralph Waldo Emerson decided that Watkins photographs of the Grizzly Giant “made the tree possible," for these photographs
provided evidence of its existence. He lost his studio in the San
Francisco earthquake in 1906, and passed on in 1916
Half Dome, Yosemite National Park
Yosemite Valley – 1866
Cathedral Rock and spire, with
lake and trees in foreground,
Yosemite
National Park, Calif. –
1860
Bridalveil
Fall, Yosemite National Park, Calif. –
1865-66
Bridalveil Fall, Yosemite National Park, Calif. – 1860
Cathedral Spires, Yosemite
National Park, Calif. –
1860
Stream and trees with Half Dome
in background, Yosemite Valley, Calif. –
1865-66
Stream and trees with Nevada
Fall in background, Yosemite National Park, Calif. –
1860
Mirror View of El Capitan - 1872
Part of the Trunk of the Grizzley
Giant, Mariposa, California – 1861
[Individual in foreground is Galen Clark]
Grizzly Giant, Mariposa Grove – 1861
Yosemite Valley Panorama
First View of the Valley – 1866
Agassiz Column - Date Unknown
View down the Valley from Union point,
Yosemite – Date Unknown
The Yosemite Falls –
Date Unknown
Washington Column – Date Unknown
Flume Nevada Co, Cal.
(Stanford, 2014)
