El Capitan, Yosemite 1868

We love Yosemite, and we love these beautiful historical photographs that give us an intriguing glimpse into its past. The photos by Carleton Watkins are from The Yosemite Book, published in 1868, which was the result of a government survey lead by J.D. Whitney started five years earlier. It resulted in the most accurate and detailed maps of the Yosemite Valley from the time, and photos that brought to life the splendor of the area. Soon after, President Lincoln signed into law the Yosemite Land Grant giving the Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove to the state of California. In 1890, Yosemite became a National Park and in 1906 President Roosevelt brought it back under government control and expanded the National Park to the entire region we know it as today. This is a reproduction print of the highest quality printed on heavyweight archival paper and inks.