Cathedral Rocks and Reflections, Yosemite

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Artist: Charles Leander Weed (American, 1824–1903)
Medium: Albumen print from wet collodion negative
Size: Image: 51.9 x 39.9 cm (20 7/16 x 15 11/16 in.); Paper: 70.8 x 55.4 cm (27 7/8 x 21 13/16 in.); Matted: 76.2 x 61 cm (30 x 24 in.)
Culture: America
Museum: Cleveland Museum of Art
Rights: CC0 — no rights reserved

In 1859, Charles L. Weed made the first photographs of the Yosemite region. Using the wet collodion process, he produced 40 stereoviews and some 20 large (10 x 14 inches) glass negatives. His pioneering photographs informed future visitors and artists of the region's scenic splendors. About five years later, in 1864, he returned to create his remarkable mammoth plate views (approximately 17 x 22 inches) of the valley. This image of Cathedral Rocks is among the best examples of Weed's ability to combine sublime subject matter with observation. With graceful precision, he captured the complex landscape, fully reflected in the mirror-like surface of the lake's calm water.