Here is a photochrom image from right around 1900 of the majestic Yosemite Valley. This was the first really practical color photo technology, it produced images so real as to almost seem surreal. Here the rocks look hard, the water wet and the tiny opening in the canopy in the middle of the valley looks invitingly fresh, one can almost smell the pine forests and wild grasses.

This public domain photograph is by William Henry Jackson, one of the few historic photographers almost everybody is familiar with. We posted another image by Jackson earlier: Mule in Havana another beautiful photochrom. As we said there, so much has been written about W H Jackson there is little left for us to add, his work speaks for itself.