Snapshot 1871 – Yosemite Edition…

February 10, 2025 by · Leave a Comment 

Snapshot 1871…

Well, perhaps technically not a snapshot, but certainly an 1870’s version of such – an amazing woodcut illustration of one of my wife’s and my favorite places to visit:

Sandwiched at the midpoint of the timeline between the Mariposa War and when Yosemite National Park was established, this 1871 print of the Yosemite Valley captures the essence of its unspoiled grandeur. To read the corresponding article written by one who had just recently explored the region, go to:

“The Cub”, November, 1871

This publication describes itself as: “An Amateur Journal devoted to the interests of Boys and Girls”. As I tried to place myself in the shoes of a 19th century boy reading the article after viewing the illustration, I was reminded of the 1st time my wife and I beheld the valley for the 1st time. Standing from a perch atop Glacier Point – a location which enables one to drink in much of the Yosemite Valley in one visual snapshot, my childlike wonder came bursting forth from some long-buried place within, and my spirit cried out in praise to the One who created such things merely for our pleasure. What a memory!

Filed under: Illustrated Newspapers, Newspaper Collecting Ideas, Old West Era, Post Civil War, The Collectible Community, The Private Collection
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