Public collection via the Cleveland Museum of Art
AT-00012976Iceberg Canyon, Colorado River Looking Above
About the Artwork
Timothy H. O'Sullivan served on the first and last seasons (1871-73) of the geographical expedition, led by Lieutenant George Montague Wheeler, to explore and map lands west of the 100th meridian. Wheeler sought an inland passage for troops from Idaho and Utah southward to Arizona and desired to document the topography to benefit future settlement. O'Sullivan's unequaled experience in the field earned him a boat of his own, Picture, from which he slowly explored the canyons from his low vantage point on the Colorado River. In this carefully composed picture of Iceberg Canyon, he seamlessly blended documentary and aesthetic interests, bringing formal and geological order to what is perhaps his best photograph taken along the Colorado. Contemplating the beautiful scenery, the centrally positioned, seated figure introduces human participation to a scene of geological wonder.
Exhibition history
Charles Isaacs and Carol Nigro Collection of American Photography. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (April 26-September 10, 2003). Icons of American Photography: A Century of Photographs from the Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 24-September 16, 2007).
Data retrieved from the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 8, 2026. The museum may have updated its record since.
Quick Overview
- Artist
- Timothy H. O'Sullivan (American, 1840–1882)
- Date
- c. 1871
- Medium
- albumen print from wet collodion negative
- Dimensions
- Image: 20.2 x 27.3 cm (7 15/16 x 10 3/4 in.); Mounted: 35.5 x 45.7 cm (14 x 18 in.); Matted: 50.8 x 61 cm (20 x 24 in.)
- Type
- Photograph
- Classification
- Photograph
- Department
- Photography
- Credit line
- John L. Severance Fund
- Accession no.
- 2002.46
More by Timothy O'Sullivan in museum collections
Geographical & Geological Explorations & Surveys West of the 100th Meridian
Timothy O'Sullivan1871/73 · Photograph
Public collection via the Art Institute of Chicago
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Geographical Explorations and Surveys West of the 100th Meridian
Timothy O'Sullivan1871/74 · Photograph
Public collection via the Art Institute of Chicago
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Public collection via the Cleveland Museum of Art
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Public collection via the Art Institute of Chicago
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Open-access museum record · AT-00012976
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