Boudoir card of an Oregon Railway and Navigation Company relief train passing through The Needles rock formation in the Columbia River Gorge on the Oregon side during the winter of 1884-1885. Three men stand beside the train.

Boudoir card of an Oregon Railway and Navigation Company relief train passing through The Needles rock formation in the Columbia River Gorge on the Oregon side during the winter of 1884-1885. Three men stand beside the train.

Boudoir card of the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company's railroad tracks passing through The Needles rock formation, Columbia River Gorge.

Boudoir card of the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company's railroad tracks passing through The Needles rock formation, Columbia River Gorge.

View of Rooster Rock on the Columbia River in the Columbia River Gorge. Beach in the foreground. Watkin's photographer's tent is on the beach in the center of the image, with nearby tripod and camera also visible.

Distant view of Castle Rock, also known as Beacon Rock, across the Columbia River on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge. Taken from the McCrary farm in Oregon. OHS Collection includes 1 duplicate of this mammoth plate on a different mount.

View of Castle Rock, also known as Beacon Rock, on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge. OHS Collection includes 2 duplicates of this mammoth plate on different mounts.

View of Sugar Loaf Island and Fisherman Bay in the Farallon Islands, California, 1869. Aulon Island is also visible. There is a ship in the bay.

View looking up at Sentinel Rock from a nearby river.

View of a sea arch in the ocean off the coast of Mendocino, California, 1863. Taken from the west bluffs of the Mendocino headlands. Signature of Carleton E. Watkins below the image.

View of Castle Rock, also known as Beacon Rock, on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge. Photo taken from the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge. There are 2 structures, possibly houses, on the shore of the Columbia River. This plate is part of Carlton Watkin's "Sun Sketches of Columbia River Scenery" album.

View up the Columbia River to Mitchell Point in the distance. A large rock outcropping sits in the Columbia River in the foreground. Loose duplicate plate in 5/4. This plate is part of Carlton Watkin's "Sun Sketches of Columbia River Scenery" album.

View of railroad tracks passing through the rock formation known as the Needles on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge during the winter storm of 1884-1885. This plate is part of an album of Watkin’s New Series photographs originally owned by Charles H. Prescott, manager of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Co.

View of railroad tracks passing through the rock formation known as the Needles on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge during the winter storm of 1884-1885. This plate is part of an album of Watkin’s New Series photographs originally owned by Charles H. Prescott, manager of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Co.

View of railroad tracks passing through the rock formation known as the Needles on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge during the winter storm of 1884-1885. This plate is part of an album of Watkin’s New Series photographs originally owned by Charles H. Prescott, manager of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Co.

View of Castle Rock, also known as Beacon Rock, on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge. Photo taken from up river on the Oregon side of the gorge. Railroad tracks in the foreground.

View of Castle Rock, also known as Beacon Rock, on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge. Photo taken from the Oregon side of the gorge. There are 2 structures, possibly houses, on the shore of the Columbia River.

View of Rooster Rock on the Columbia River in the Columbia River Gorge. Beach in the foreground.

Winter view of railroad tracks passing through a rock formation known as The Needles in the Columbia River Gorge. Snow on the ground.

Photograph taken from a low angle and looking upwards, showing a large wall of basalt rock formations in the Cove Palisades State Park area, prior to the construction of the Round Butte Dam (completed in 1965).

Photograph showing a dirt road traveling through sage brush foliage, with a mesa and cliff in the background. Just beyond the road is a small area of short burned foliage, and a man can be seen standing on the road to the right.

Photograph showing trash along road in the Cove Palisades State Park area. In the foreground is a mattress, with cans, boxes and a wooden barrel also visible. Low mesas can be seen in the background. Written on the negative is "Culver Formation."

Photograph looking across a scenic open valley at Cove Palisades State Park. A river can be seen at the bottom of the valley (Deschutes or Crooked River), with rock formations. In the distance, Mount Hood can be seen on the horizon. A curving dirt road can be seen on a hillside below the cliffs at the right side of the frame.

Photograph looking across a valley towards Three Fingered Jack, with Rockpile Mountain visible at the far upper right corner of the frame. Large basalt cliffs extend up from the bottom of the image, before reaching an upper flat area.

Photograph taken from a high angle and looking downward at a large open valley at Cove Palisades State Park. Several dirt roads cut through the valley, and an electrical substation can be seen next to a small pond with surrounding buildings. In the distance is a large flat topped mesa.

Photograph taken from a low angle and looking upwards, showing a large wall of basalt rock formations in the Cove Palisades State Park area, prior to the construction of the Round Butte Dam (completed in 1965).

Photograph taken from the top of a flat mesa, looking down into the valley at Cove Palisades State Park. A dirt road and river can be seen at the bottom of the valley, with steep walls extending upwards on both sides. At the right side of the frame, several utility poles can be seen at the top of the valley side. Looking to the north, Mount Hood can be seen

Photograph showing a tall sandstone rock formation (Ship Rock) in a high desert area. At the bottom right of the frame, a man faces away from the camera. Layering can be seen in the rock, with a tower-like section in the middle. (Image note: see related image PGE 59-240-49).