thumb|Yosemite Valley, View from Inspiration Point, 1879, in the [[Princeton University Art Museum]]

thumb|[[Geothermal areas of Yellowstone|Minerva Terraces, Mammoth Hot Springs, National Park, by Watkins]]

Carleton E. Watkins (1829–1916) was an American photographer of the 19th century. Born in New York, he moved to California and quickly became interested in photography. He focused mainly on landscape photography, and Yosemite Valley was a favorite subject of his. His photographs of the valley significantly influenced the United States Congress' decision to preserve it as a National Park.

Early life

Birth

Carleton E. Watkins was born on November 11, 1829, the eldest of eight children. His parents were John and Julia Watkins, a carpenter and an innkeeper. Born in Oneonta, New York, he was a hunter and fisherman and was involved in the glee club and Presbyterian Church Choir. His true middle name is the subject of debate: some sources give it as Eugene while others give it as Emmons.

San Francisco

In 1851, Watkins and his Childhood friend Collis Huntington moved to San Francisco with hopes of finding gold. This would later be helpful for Watkins.

Career

Prior to photography

During the first two years in San Francisco, Watkins did not work in photography. He originally worked for his friend Huntington, delivering supplies to mining operations. He did this before working as a store clerk at a George Murray's Bookstore,

Before his work with Vance, Watkins knew nothing about photography. Vance showed him the basic elements of photography, planning to return and retake the portraits himself. However, when he came back, he found that Watkins had excelled at the art while he was away and his customers were satisfied.

Yosemite

thumb|Bridal Veil Falls. One of Watkins' iconic Yosemite photographs

In July 1861, Watkins made the decision that changed his career: he traveled to Yosemite. He brought his mammoth-plate camera (which used 18×22 inch glass plates) and his stereoscopic camera. The photographs were shown in New York at Goupil Gallery in 1862, and an article in the New York Times stated, "as specimens of the photographic art they are unequalled and reflect great credit upon the producer, Mr. Watkins. The views…are indescribably unique and beautiful. Nothing in the way of landscapes can be more impressive." In 1864, Watkins was hired to make photographs of Yosemite for the California State Geological Survey. When Cook and photographer Isaiah Taber took over Yosemite Art Gallery, they began reproducing his work without giving him credit. His photography was also said to have influenced President Abraham Lincoln and was one of the major factors in Lincoln signing the Yosemite Grant in 1864, a bill that declared Yosemite Valley inviolable. The bill paved the way for the 1872 creation of Yellowstone National Park, and the U.S. National Park System in its entirety.

Environmentalism

The 1864 bill signed by Lincoln is often seen as the beginning of environmentalism in American politics. In accordance with his influence in preserving Yosemite and the beginning of the National Parks system, Watkins is seen as an important part of that. His photographs captured nature in a way that caught the eye of Americans. He created sublime images of wilderness, pristine landscapes untouched by humans. These images established icons that furthered environmentalist ideals, helping to back claims about preservation.

References

Further reading

  • Department of Photographs. "Carleton Watkins (1829–1916) and the West: 1860s–1870s." In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. (October 2004)
  • Early Watkins Yosemite Photographs
  • Watkins photographs in Josiah Whitney, The Yosemite Book (1869)
  • Mammoth Plate Photographs of Yosemite Valley, 1861-1881 and Stereo Views of the West, ca. 1865-ca. 1880, The Bancroft Library (several other Watkins photo collections also available through the Online Archive of California)
  • Mammoth Plate Photographs of the North American West by Watkins from the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University
  • Carleton Watkins Interior Views of Anaconda Mines (Butte, MT) Digital Collection of Photographs from the University of Idaho Library Digital Collections
  • Carleton Watkins: The Art of Perception 1999 exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
  • Carleton Watkins: Yosemite 2014 exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art