Valley of the Yosemite from Union Point

Eadweard Muybridge, Valley of the Yosemite from Union Point, 1872, albumen silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Charles T. Isaacs, 1994.89.1
Copied Eadweard Muybridge, Valley of the Yosemite from Union Point, 1872, albumen silver print, sheet: 1721 12 in. (43.254.6 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Charles T. Isaacs, 1994.89.1
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Valley of the Yosemite from Union Point
Publisher
Bradley and Rulofson
Date
1872
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
sheet: 1721 12 in. (43.254.6 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Charles T. Isaacs
Mediums Description
albumen silver print
Classifications
Subjects
  • Landscape — California
  • Landscape — valley — Yosemite Valley
  • Landscape — river — Merced River
Object Number
1994.89.1

Artwork Description

Eadweard Muybridge went to great lengths to photograph the best possible views of the West. He chopped down trees if they obstructed his camera, and ventured to “points where his packers refused to follow him.” Muybridge was determined to produce the most comprehensive photographs ever made of Yosemite and the surrounding region. His views were sold widely in both large-format prints and stereograph cards, which are viewed through a device that creates the illusion of three-dimensional space. This allowed Muybridge to transport his audience, if just for a moment, to a faraway place caught on film.


A Democracy of Images: Photographs from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2013