Rain Sculpture, Salt Creek Cañon, Utah
William H. Bell
American, born England 1830–1910
Timothy O'Sullivan
American, born Ireland. 1840–1882
Seasons of 1871, 1872 and 1873
A finely detailed albumen silver print photograph by Timothy O’Sullivan that documents the sculpted cliffs of Salt Creek Cañon, aiming to reveal the abrasive, water‑cut forms of the landscape with scientific clarity and aesthetic feeling.
What first hits you is the vertical rhythm of ribbed, cathedral‑like pinnacles carved into the earth—sharp contrasts of light and shadow that make the rock read like carved fabric and give a strong sense of scale where small shrubs cling to ledges.
Made during government survey work in the 1870s, this image helped establish photography as a tool for geological documentation and as a powerful visual language for understanding and mythologizing the American West, influencing both science and later landscape photography.
Medium
Albumen silver print
Dimensions
10 13/16 × 7 15/16" (27.5 × 20.2 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of Ansel Adams in memory of Albert M. Bender
Accession
87.1941.26
Palette
Exhibitions
