Carleton Watkins was born November 11, 1829. Watkins grew up in Oneonta, New York and went to San Francisco, California during the gold rush, in 1851. Watkins found in interest in photography as an aide in a San Francisco portrait studio where he started taking his own photographs in 1861.
Up until the 1970's Watkins went around California and Oregon areas photographing. In 1964, Watkins took photographs of the Yosemite Valley and later on helped Congress' decision to establish the valley as a National Park. Watkins faced problems with his artwork being re printed and his artwork being published without credit.
In 1879, Watkins married his 22 year old assistant, Frances Sneade who he had 2 children with. He then started a "New Series" which included many photographs that were mainly related to California. His family remained poor and spent some time living in an abandoned railroad boxcar. His eyesight had then begun to fail. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire destroyed Watkins's studio. In 1910, Watkins was committed to the Napa State Hospital for the insane, where he died 6 years later.
CREDITS:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carleton_Watkins
http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/watkinsbro.htm
OTHER PHOTOGRAPHS:
Mendocino Country, 1863.
Cape Horn, Colombia River, 1867.
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