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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Sixty One: Signs as symbols > Roosevelt Arch, Yellowstone National Park, Montana, 2008
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10-OCT-2008

Roosevelt Arch, Yellowstone National Park, Montana, 2008

The most historic sign in Yellowstone National Park is the arch that dominates the park’s first major entrance. In 1903, the Northern Pacific Railway brought tourists to Yellowstone by building tracks to Gardiner, Montana. The small town and its surrounding area lacked sufficient visual fanfare to serve as gateway to America’s first and most famous national park. Locals started building an arch to mark the spot where the park itself began to unfold. While the arch was being built, President Theodore Roosevelt came to Yellowstone for a two-week visit. He was invited to participate in its dedication before 3,000 people, and arrived on horseback. He helped lay the cornerstone of the arch and made a speech extolling the wonders of Yellowstone Park. Eight words from that speech were later placed on the arch. When I made this wideangle photograph of the arch under a dramatic canopy of massive storm clouds, only one person and one car were visible in the wintry landscape. The design and texture of the arch is very much a product of its time. It seems as “rough and ready” as Teddy Roosevelt himself, and today it carries his name into the 21st century as it welcomes visitors to Yellowstone.

Leica V-Lux 1
1/200s f/5.6 at 7.4mm iso100 full exif

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Ann...17-Jun-2010 06:08
A truly imposing entrance.
Phil Douglis18-Oct-2008 23:21
That is exactly what they had in mind when they built it in 1903. In fact, before Yellowstone was called Yellowstone, the locals called it "Wonderland."
Tim May18-Oct-2008 21:55
I see this a metaphor for a visit to Yellowstone, beyond this gate - wonders await one.
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