John K. Hillers. Walpi, Mokitown, Arizona. c.1872-3. Vintage albumen.
John Hillers’ perspective emphasizes the dramatic siting of a pueblo, providing geologic details in the foreground and geographic information at the horizon. An ancient pueblo complex, Walpi is one of the oldest continuously inhabited villages in the United States. The complex serves as an example of historic Hopi stone architecture used for pueblos built on mesa tops. Hillers spent almost two decades photographing in Native American territories in the Southwest, largely for the Bureau of American Ethnology and the United States Geological Survey.