America the Beautiful on full display at Upcountry History Museum
February 13, 2025
Visitors will be transported to treasured landscapes across the country in “Clyde Butcher’s America the Beautiful” exhibition opening at the Upcountry History Museum – Greenville County, a Smithsonian Affiliate, on Saturday, February 15, 2025.
Each of the 43 large-scale photographs of sites from the Redwood forests to the Gulfstream waters and beyond showcase countless diverse places of wilderness and beauty found in the public natural lands dedicated to the enjoyment and inspiration of this and future generations.
Renowned for his talent, technique, and artistic vision, Clyde Butcher has established himself as one of the premier photographers in the world, devoting himself as much to the process of taking pictures as to finding the places to chronicle on film. Still using an 8 x 10 wooden large-format view camera from the 1940s and loading only black and white film, Butcher creates an extraordinary depth of field through a synthesis of wide-angled lenses and a small lens opening. The large negatives from this kind of camera, combined with orange and blue filters and a longer-than-average exposure time, allow for clarity and incredible detail within his compositions, all of which give viewers a first-hand perspective to the beauty of each site.
“I photograph in black and white so people see the whole environment without the distraction of color,” said Butcher. “My hope is to educate…to let people know our land is a special place, and to inspire others to work together to save nature’s places of spiritual sanctuary for future generations.”
This unmatched range of photographs features a stunning collection of Butcher’s best work from his illustrious 50-year career, a career that has led him to some of America’s most stunning and precious natural landscapes while highlighting his passion for preserving these spaces for generations to come.
Visitors will also be able to see what Butcher sees as they can stand behind one of his wooden large-format view cameras which is included in the exhibition. “Clyde Butcher’s America the Beautiful” will be on exhibit from Saturday, Feb. 15 through May 25, 2025.
The Upcountry History Museum is located at 540 Buncombe St., in Greenville, S.C. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; Sunday from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. For more information, call 864-467-3100 or visit www.upcountryhistory.org.
