Yosemite National Park is famous for its stunning scenery. One particular spot, Overhanging Rock at Glacier Point, became a popular place for tourists. It also became a subject of many early photographs. These photos offer a unique look at the past.
Overhanging Rock juts out from the cliff face. It sits 3,200 feet above the Yosemite Valley floor. This dramatic location made it an exciting, and somewhat dangerous, place to visit. People have been drawn to it since the first trails to Glacier Point were built in 1857.
Nearby, another Yosemite tradition took place: the Firefall. James McCauley, who built a trail and a hotel at Glacier Point in the 1870s, started it. He pushed burning embers over the cliff. The embers created a glowing cascade. This spectacle lasted, off and on, until 1968.
Overhanging Rock, however, was all about the view and the thrill. Early visitors wanted proof of their daring visit. “I was there” photos became common. These showed people standing, sitting, or even performing stunts on the rock..
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One famous early photo shows a 1900 Locomobile steam car on Overhanging Rock. Oliver Lippincott drove this car into Yosemite Valley. It was the first automobile to do so. The car was pulled onto the rock with ropes for the photo.
This image inspired others. Car manufacturers used Overhanging Rock for advertising. They wanted to show off the power and capability of their vehicles. The dramatic backdrop made for memorable pictures.
George Fiske, Yosemite’s first resident photographer, took many early pictures of Overhanging Rock. These photos, from the 1880s and 1890s, captured the scale of the rock and the valley. After Fiske’s death, Ansel Adams, a now-famous photographer, printed some of Fiske’s negatives.
Group photos were popular at Overhanging Rock. People brought horses and cars onto the rock for these pictures. Individuals also performed stunts for the camera. Photos show people doing handstands and high kicks on the edge. One image even features a horse looking nervously over the cliff.
These “I was there” photos were often made into postcards. These early tourist images of Overhanging rock had daredevil appeal. They showed both the beauty and the perceived danger of Yosemite. They also show how people interacted with nature in a different era. The images offer a window to a period before guardrails and strict safety rules.
