19th Century Mammoth-Plate Photographs

Yosemite National Park News Release

July 11, 2006
For Immediate Release

New Yosemite Museum Exhibit Showcases 19th Century Mammoth-Plate Photographs

A new exhibit in the Yosemite Museum gallery opened on June 12, 2006 featuring 50 historic mammoth-plate photographs of the Yosemite landscape. These rare, extraordinary images are contact prints made between 1861 and 1880 from glass-plate negatives by some of the most famous photographers of the time--Carleton Watkins, Eadweard Muybridge and Charles Weed. The exhibit also includes a working replica of a mammoth camera, on loan from Robert Szabo, as well as a digital slide show of all mammoth photographs in the museum's collection.

The large cameras were used to produce 18 x 22 inch "mammoth" format glass negatives. The huge camera, glass plates, chemicals and containers were transported to all locations where photographs were made. Pack mules and wagons were used to move these materials around the park, which was a challenge on the primitive roads and trails of the period.

In addition to being beautiful examples of early photography, mammoth photographs played an important role in familiarizing the American public with the wonders of Yosemite. Exhibits of Watkins photographs on the East coast are widely credited with generating support for the Yosemite protection act of 1864.

The Yosemite Museum is located in Yosemite Valley next to the visitor center. The exhibit is open daily 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., now through September 30, 2006. For more information about the exhibit please call 209/372-0200.

The exhibit project, which includes conservation and treatment of these early photographs, was made possible through a grant from the Yosemite Fund.

-NPS-

Thanks for posting this.

If anyone is considering attending this exhibit, you will need to hurry. The
last day is this Saturday, 9/30/06.

I made a point of visiting this last weekend. As someone with a strong
interest in early photography - and Yosemite, this was not to be missed.

The photographs are large contact prints. I think that most (or all) of
them were made with the albumen process.

The images are in very good condition considering their age. The dark and
light areas looked fine. Decent shadow detail considering the process.

Since these are contact prints, I was surprised that they were not sharper.
The reason of course is that optics of that time were poor by today's
standards.

If you go, take a good look at the camera on display. Consider lugging
that through the backcountry! Yes they used horses or mules, but at
times they had to use ropes to access areas.

Some of the images are unusual, since the view point was different than
where the trails are today. I didn't recognise Nevada Falls from the photo.

The rules and sensibilities were different back then. Muybridge cut down many trees that were in the way of the perfect shot. Cheater!