 |
Timothy O' Sullivan |
|
Constructing Telegraph Lines (1864) The "Pulpit" after capture, Fort Fisher, N.C. (1865) |
Timothy O'Sullivan (1840-1882), often named as the first photographer of the deserts of the American West, was involved in two post-Civil War surveys of the West (Clarence King (1867-69) and George M. Wheeler's (1871 & 1873) U.S Geological Surveys) O'Sullivan's stark, terse depictions of geological monoliths and mining communities evoke a "realistic" view of the West, particularly the stupefying monotony of the land. However, the desolation in the land which he empasizes is often punctuated by the incongruous appearance of human settlement that was slowly spreading across the country, even in its most remote regions. His photography is a fine example of the experience of the sublime that filled Western travellers with awe upon viewing the vast landscapes of the Great Basin and beyond.
An American, O'Sullivan was originally employed by the photographic team led by Mathew Brady, an early period in his career distinguished by his work as a photographer of the American Civil War. Like Alexander Gardner, he left Brady's firm because he felt that he was not receiving sufficient reward either financially or in terms of reputation (Brady insisted that all photographs taken by his employees bear his name). He lived a short life, dying at the age of 41 of tuberculosis (he had also nearly died of exposure during the King expedition some 14 years earlier). |