Circa 1865. "Mirror Lake, Yosemite Valley, albumen silver print. Carleton Watkins (1829 - 1916), an early photographer of Yosemite, captured this pristine view of Mirror Lake while most of the country was engaged in the Civil War. One of the best landscape photographers of the 19th century, Watkins used the cumbersome, demanding technology of his era, which required large glass wet plate negatives, and produced some of the most stunning images of this extraordinary wilderness. His views are credited with inducing members of Congress to pass legislation in 1864 that required California to protect the area from development. Abraham Lincoln, reported to have been very taken with the beauty of the images, signed the bill. Later efforts by landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted and naturalist John Muir resulted in Yosemite being proclaimed a national park in 1890." View full size.

December 1940. Starke, Florida. "Soldiers Joy Cafe, newly constructed for construction workers near Camp Blanding." Acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott. View full size.

December 1940. Starke, Florida. "Construction workers drinking beer in Soldiers Joy Cafe near Camp Blanding." Medium format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott. View full size.

December 1940. Radford, Virginia. "Influx of construction workers to build Hercules Powder Plant -- new arrivals in town. They've come by bus from West Radford." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.

St. Paul, Minnesota, 1905. "Post Office, Fifth and Market Streets." The postal palace last glimpsed here. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.

1905. "Pioneer Press building, St. Paul, Minnesota." Ghost pedestrians galore! 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size.

Duluth, Minnesota, circa 1904. "A Coaching Party (four-horse team with coach on Boulevard Drive)." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size.

Syracuse, New York, 1904. "Central Technical High School, Warren and Adams streets." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size.

New York. May 16, 1921. The Metropolitan Opera soprano Yvonne d'Arle and friend. 8x10 inch glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size.

Rochester, New York, circa 1908. "Masonic Temple, North Clinton Avenue and Mortimer Street." Our second visit to this august edifice affords a view of two lads whom we strongly suspect of being Up to Something. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size.

1902. "Fort Monroe, Old Point Comfort, Virginia." Home to the gaudily attired News Depot. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size.

Boston, 1902. "Ames Building and Washington Street." Completed in 1893, this 13-story office building (now a hotel) was Boston's first skyscraper. 8x10 inch gelatin silver glass transparency, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size.

Detroit circa 1906. "Hotel Cadillac, Washington Boulevard." Last seen here, with a different cast of characters. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.

Rochester, New York, circa 1906. "Masonic Temple, North Clinton Avenue and Mortimer Street." District headquarters of the Free & Accepted Masons, whose retail tenants include Wunder Tailor, Nusbaum's Lining Store, E.J. Egbert & Co. and Underwood Typewriter. This imposing edifice, completed in 1902, was razed in 1932 to make room for a movie theater parking lot. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.

Gloucester, Massachusetts (vicinity), circa 1905. "Pergola, North Shore Grill Club, Magnolia." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.