"Carleton E. Watkins (1829-1916), one of America's greatest pioneers of photography, produced almost seven hundred photographs in and around Yosemite Valley, California, beginning in 1858 and so became the first to capture the regions's breathtaking beauty. This selection of forty-nine large format photographs from the collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum includes images of the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoia trees, pristine views from the Merced River, and stunning images of El Capitan, Half Dome, Bridalveil Fall, Cathedral Rocks, and the Three Brothers. Together they persuasively show why Watkins's name will be forever linked to the noble beauty of Yosemite."--Jacket.