“Monuments” in Stone - The First Photographs of The American Southwest (1870’s) Geological Anomalies

Today we will look through some of the very first photographs ever taken of the American Southwest, dated to the 1870’s, with our photographer being John K. Hillers. These images are attributed to the first intricate survey of the Southwest. What’s remarkable, besides the vast detail of each image, is the title of each image. We will be looking at what are considered to be the “monuments” of Ancient America, and these specific sites played a large importance to the indigenous people of the Southwest. These are some of the finest and earliest photographs of the massive Rock Formations of America that I have ever seen. Topics discussed today: