Yellow Leaves and Asters, Sangre de Cristo Mountains, New Mexico, September 20, 1950

<p>An avid nature photographer, Eliot Porter helped to pioneer technologies of color printing. He is best known for vibrant three-color dye imbibition prints of nature scenes and cultural landmarks, published in books and portfolios in partnership with the Sierra Club. Hugh Edwards featured Porter’s work in a 1963 exhibition that seems to have cemented his impressions of color photography, which was at this point largely reserved for commercial purposes. “At last I can feel certain,” the curator wrote to Porter, “that great photographs can be made in color—something I was skeptical about for so long.” The following year, the museum acquired 21 prints.</p>