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William Henry Jackson , (Apr 4, 1843–Jun 30, 1942)

In Granite Canon

1869
4 1/8 in. x 7 3/16 in. (10.48 cm x 18.26 cm)

Medium and Support: Albumen print

Credit Line: museum purchase

Accession Number: 1976.48

Commentary

Railroads and photography revolutionized the 19th century in similar ways. Rail travel sped up the pace of modern life by collapsing distance and time and making whole areas of the country accessible for cultivation, settlement, and tourism. Photography shrank distances by depicting faraway places, allowing anyone to become an armchair traveler. The railroads recognized the marketing potential of photography and put photographers on their payrolls.
William Henry Jackson’s image of tracks powerfully cutting through granite, yet gently curving into the distance was made for the Union Pacific Railroad to attract passengers. The photograph boasts the integration of nature and technology and hails the railroad as part of the march of progress.

Exhibition List

This object was included in the following exhibitions:

Industrial Evolution: Photographic Images and Ideas Addison Gallery of American Art , 1/14/1995 - 1/7/1996
Addison Gallery of American Art: 65 Years Addison Gallery of American Art , 4/13/1996 - 7/31/1996
Contemplating the View: American Landscape Photographs Addison Gallery of American Art , 9/8/2018 - 3/3/2019
A Wildness Distant from Ourselves: Art and Ecology in Nineteenth-Century America Addison Gallery of American Art , 9/1/2019 - 7/31/2020

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