Virginia City, Nevada

The monument inscripton reads:

Catherine L., Wife of Sol. Noel, Died May 20, 1896, Aged 48 Years

(Sol. is short for Solomon)

During my time as a geologist in Nevada I also carried a 4x5 field camera with me whenever possible. This photograph was made during an off day in the hills above the gold and silver mining town of Virginia City.

I had already set the camera up when a strong afternoon thunderstorm struck. Quickly covering the camera with a bent piece of cardboard under a plastic trash bag, I sat it out in my truck. As soon as the rain stopped, I got out, removed the coverings, and made this picture in the late afternoon light. A deep yellow filter was sufficient to dramatically darken the sky as the elevation was over 6,000 feet.

This original mid-80s vintage print shows delicate highlight and inscription detail in the sun-facing portions of the two monuments. You may not be able to see all of those clipped values on your monitor.