Carleton E. Watkins 1829-1916

mammoth-plate albumen print, mounted, signed 'Watkins' and titled by the photographer in pencil on the mount, matted, 1873-74 (The Art of Perception, pl. 78)

Presumably, the Gardner Collection of Photographs, Harvard University

To the present owner, 1965-66

Grading this albumen print on a scale of 1 to 10 - a 10 being an albumen print with deep brown dark tones and highlights that retain all of their original detail - this print rates a 10. Like the other Watkins view of Utah offered here, this print has tones that are a rich reddish brown. The print is in an excellent state of preservation and is in excellent condition. The mount shows some very light inconsequential foxing. There is a small, 1.5-inch, tear in the lower edge of the mount.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The view here is of a railroad bridge in Weber Canyon, Utah, near the Devil's Slide. Named for John Weber, a trapper thought to have been killed by Indians in 1828-29, Weber Canyon was an important gateway to the Great Salt Lake valley.  Now traversed by Interstate 84 East, the Canyon's geography presented enormous problems for the builders of the Union Pacific Railroad in the later 1860s.  The ravines and hills required massive cut-and-fill grading, across some of the most difficult terrain on the route.  Watkins's photograph, depicting bridge, river, and evidence of this extensive grading, celebrates a feat of engineering, as had Andrew J. Russell's photographs of the same canyon a few years earlier.  Watkins's photographic van and equipment can be seen in the left foreground.

Weston Naef and the Carleton Watkins Mammoth-Plate Catalogue Raisonné Project locate only six other prints of this image, most in institutional collections.