Thomas Moran’s Mount Superior

Hard to believe that just out of view of these idyllic landscape are railroads, mines and quarries, and a booming metropolis. In the late 19th century, while urban development boomed and railroads expanded, the tourism industry promoted the ease and comfort of traveling to the West by rail alongside narratives of the “unspoiled” landscapes visitors would see on their travels.

Featuring a long-lost watercolor by the acclaimed landscape artist, this exhibition, Thomas Moran’s Mount Superior, explores these divergent depictions of the American landscape through photography, works on paper, and popular culture ephemera from the period. 

Journey to 1870s Salt Lake City and discover how Moran’s idealized vision of Mount Superior fits within the broader history of the colonization and industrialization of the West. Drawn from the museum’s deep holdings of works on paper and photography, this exhibition recounts a story that only the Carter’s collection can tell.

Features a major new acquisition by 19th-century landscape painter Thomas Moran!

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website