DESERT VIEW WATCHTOWER

The Desert View Watchtower may be the most spiritual building I have ever experienced. Perched on the rim of the Grand Canyon, it was a signature design by Mary Colter, a wonderful architect working in the “parkitecture” style in the early years of the national parks. Inside, there are paintings and artifacts and designs that evoke the spiritual lives of the southwestern Indians. The tower’s design was inspired by stone towers built by the Ancestral Puebloan People at Hovenweep National Monument.

I came to the tower at night to photograph it with the stars overhead. It happened to be during the Orionid Meteor Shower, and you can see meteors in this picture, as well as the Milky Way Galaxy. Can you understand why I was so moved by this experience?

LIMITED EDITION: This photographic print is part of a limited edition produced by photographer Lee Rentz. The edition consists of 250 prints, which includes all sizes and methods of printing.