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Perched Rock, Rocker Creek, Arizona
Perched Rock, Rocker Creek, Arizona

Perched Rock, Rocker Creek, Arizona

Artist William Bell (American, 1830 - 1910)
Date1872
MediumAlbumen print
DimensionsImage and sheet: 10 13/16 × 8 inches (27.46 × 20.32 cm)
Mount: 18 5/8 × 15 3/4 inches (47.31 × 40.01 cm)
Credit LineGift of the Hall Family Foundation
Object number2007.2.3
SignedOn mount recto, lower left, black type: "W. Bell, Phot."
InscribedOn mount recto, top, in black type: "War Department Corps of Engineers. U.S. Army"; On mount recto, upper left, in black type: "Explorations and Surveys West of the 100th Meridian"; On mount recto, upper right, in black type: "Expedition of 1872-Liet. Geo. M. Wheeler, Commandin" ; On mount recto, bottom, in black type: "PERCHED ROCK, ROCKER CREEK, ARIZONA."; On mount recto, lower right, in black type: "No 14".
Markingsnone
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DescriptionImage of a rock, balanced upon its natural pedestal, centered in the frame. Crouched below and in the lower right corner of the frame is a barely noticeable figure of a man, who appears as a scale marker.Gallery Label

William Bell recorded this large standing rock with an elegant, totemic simplicity. In 1872, Bell served as the official photographer of the Geographical and Geological Exploration of the 100th Meridian, a War Department survey of the American West headed by Lt. George M. Wheeler. This survey focused on the spectacular scenery of the Grand Canyon in northern Arizona, with the goal of mapping the area and gathering scientific data about the region’s animals, plants, people, and geographic features.

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