Presidential Photos

Teddy Roosevelt

Photography is able to capture a moment in time but often does not provide much context. Photos can lose their meaning and impact when the entire picture is not clear. At first glance this photo appears to feature Teddy Roosevelt in the wilderness with another man.  Which is not a strange sight for the naturalistic President. But the importance of this moment is not made clear.

This was not a casual trip for the President. He was invited to a three day camping trip by the environmental philosopher John Miur. This event would later be referred to as the camping trip that  changed the nation. Miur persuaded the President to attend this trip to discuss conservation issues. Some people wanted to develop the land and use its resources for mankind. Teddy Roosevelt added Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove ( the two areas they traveled through) to the Yosemite National park due to his experiences during this trip. Making the land under federal protection. Most of the national parks that we have today are due to Teddy Roosevelt efforts.

This photo probably had more of an impact during its era. This was a sign that the President was going to give more focus on protecting natural wildlife. This moment did shape our history, but people who look at the image now won't receive the same message. During that time photography has the power to influence people's perspective. The photos that were taken became a great aid in the battle to preserve national parks. Photography could capture the beauty of untouched land. These photos were used to persuade people to save these lands so that other generations could experience the sight in person. These photos were used to communicate the need of preservation. This picture becomes more than a simple camping trip once the story is revealed. Now it represents the event that preserved the natural beauty of America.