Rare 1855 Yosemite sketch acquired by Library of Congress

Drawing and lithograph helped introduce the valley to a national audience before photography

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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The Library of Congress has acquired one of the earliest known drawings of Yosemite Valley, a sketch by artist Thomas Almond Ayres from 1855, along with a rare companion lithograph produced the same year. These works are among the first widely circulated visual representations of the landscape that would become Yosemite National Park.

Why it matters

Before Yosemite became a national park and before Ansel Adams' iconic photographs, these early drawings and lithographs played a crucial role in shaping the public's perception of the American West. They represent an important piece of history in the visual representation of one of America's most iconic natural landscapes.

The details

In 1855, artist Thomas Almond Ayres sketched a towering waterfall plunging between sheer granite cliffs in the remote Sierra Nevada valley. This drawing, along with a rare companion lithograph titled "The Yo-Hamite Falls" produced the same year by publisher James Mason Hutchings, helped introduce Yosemite to a national audience at a time when drawings, not photographs, shaped public perception of the American West.

  • In 1855, Thomas Almond Ayres sketched one of the earliest known drawings of Yosemite Valley.
  • In October 1855, the lithograph "The Yo-Hamite Falls" was issued by publisher James Mason Hutchings.

The players

Thomas Almond Ayres

An artist who in 1855 sketched one of the earliest known drawings of Yosemite Valley.

James Mason Hutchings

A publisher who in 1855 issued the lithograph "The Yo-Hamite Falls", helping introduce Yosemite to a national audience.

Heather Wanser

A conservator at the Library of Congress who prepared Ayres' early drawing of Yosemite for display.

Sara W. Duke

A curator at the Library of Congress who commented on the significance of Ayres' drawing and Hutchings' lithograph in preserving Yosemite's pristine landscape.

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What they’re saying

“Thomas Ayres and James Hutchings followed their Miwok guides along a trail used to reach an Indigenous summer hunting and gathering ground, having heard rumors of a sublime landscape. Ayres' drawing is amazing for conveying the serenity and majesty of Yosemite.”

— Sara W. Duke, Library curator (Library of Congress)

What’s next

The acquired sketch and lithograph will be made available online for researchers and the public as part of the Library of Congress' "America 250: It's Your Story" celebration.

The takeaway

These early visual representations of Yosemite, predating the iconic photographs of Ansel Adams, played a crucial role in shaping the public's perception of the American West and preserving the natural beauty of one of the country's most iconic landscapes.