Gorge is a scenic gorge located in the Columbia River Gorge area of Oregon. The Oneonta Falls and Gorge were first photographed by Watkins, who named them after his hometown. Yosemite In July 1861, Watkins made the decision that changed his career: he traveled to Yosemite. He brought his mammoth-plate camera (which used 18×22 inch glass plates) and his stereoscopic camera. The stereoscopic camera was used to give the subject depth, and the mammoth-plate camera was used to capture more detail. The photographer returned with thirty mammoth plates and one hundred stereoview negatives. These were some of the first photographs of Yosemite seen in the East. The photographs were shown in New York at Goupil Gallery in 1862, and an article in the New York Times stated, “as specimens of the photographic art they are unequalled and reflect great credit upon the producer, Mr. Watkins. The views…are indescribably unique and beautiful. Nothing in the way of landscapes can be more impressive.” In 1864, Watkins was hired to make photographs of Yosemite for the California State Geological Survey. Studios In 1867, Watkins opened his first public gallery, in addition to sending his photographs to the Universal Exposition in Paris, where he won a medal. This became his lavish Yosemite Art Gallery. He displayed over a hundred large Pacific Coast views in addition over a thousand images available through stereoscopes. Despite his success as an artist, he was not successful as a businessman and ended up losing his gallery to his creditor J.J. Cook. Taber and "New Series" Not only did Watkins lose his studio to Cook, but he also lost its contents. When Cook and photographer Isaiah Taber took over Yosemite Art Gallery, they began reproducing his work without giving him credit. The 19th century had no copyright laws covering photographs, and there was nothing Watkins could do to combat this plagiarism. Subsequently, he began recreating the images he lost, calling it the "New Series." Personal life Watkins met Frances Sneed photographing in Virginia City, Nevada. They became romantically involved in 1878 and were married a year later, on Watkins' fiftieth birthday. The couple had two children: a daughter Julia in 1881, and a son Collis in 1883. Decline Loss of sight Watkins began to lose his sight in the 1890s. His last commission was from Phoebe Hearst to photograph her Hacienda del Pozo de Verona. Watkins was unable to complete