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Cape Horn, Columbia River, Oregon

Carleton Watkins, I. W. Tabernegative 1867; print about 1881 - 1883

The J. Paul Getty Museum

The J. Paul Getty Museum
Los Angeles, United States

In 1867 Carleton Watkins made an expedition to Oregon to obtain photographs of its geology, including the chain of extinct volcanic mountains that cap the coastal range. This view was made from the Washington side of the Columbia River. Even the evidence of a solitary boatman and his cargo does not disturb the landscape's profound serenity, nor does his presence reveal the fact that cultivated farmland and an apple orchard existed nearby. Watkins's image nonetheless portrays a man facing nature at its most grand and overwhelming. The man's boat appears ready to launch into the still, glassy river, an act that will make an indelible imprint on the water's pristine, boundless surface.

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  • Title: Cape Horn, Columbia River, Oregon
  • Creator: Carleton Watkins, I.W. Taber
  • Date Created: negative 1867; print about 1881 - 1883
  • Location Created: Cape Horn, Oregon, United States
  • Physical Dimensions: 40.5 × 52.3 cm (15 15/16 × 20 9/16 in.)
  • Type: Print
  • External Link: Find out more about this object on the Museum website.
  • Medium: Albumen silver print
  • Terms of Use: Open Content
  • Number: 85.XM.11.2
  • Culture: American
  • Credit Line: The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
  • Creator Display Name: Carleton Watkins (American, 1829 - 1916) I.W. Taber (American, 1830 - 1912)
  • Classification: Photographs (Visual Works)
The J. Paul Getty Museum

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