Yosemite Valley from "Best General View"
Carleton E. Watkins American
Not on view
In July 1866 Josiah Whitney reported that "Watkins is on the spot, with a most wonderful camp, and has taken many fine pictures, some of these I think will surpass anything he has ever done—especially the trail view from the Mariposa Trail & a spectacle from a spot two-thirds of the way down which we all think gives the best general view of the valley, and Watkins thinks his best picture." The single tree (carefully trimmed to keep from blocking the view) flags the outset of the course the eye will take in discovering the receding space in this beautifully orchestrated landscape.
