Conservator Heather Wanser prepares an early drawing of Yosemite by Thomas Ayres for display, February 27, 2026. 

A sketch that once circulated the United States, introducing millions to Yosemite, is now in the hands of the Library of Congress, ensuring future generations of the public will be able to see it.

In 1849, Thomas Almond Ayres, then in his early 30s, was among the first wave of Gold Rush miners to arrive in California. Ayres, who was born in New Jersey, quickly found out gold mining wasn’t as lucrative as he’d hoped, and he switched to working as an artist. As more settlers poured into the state, some new arrivals began exploring California’s incredible natural beauty, starting the early tourism industry that flourishes today. Among them was James Hutchings, who came up with the idea of essentially a travel magazine promoting California. 

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Hutchings contacted Ayres, and the pair set off for what was already one of California’s best-known beauty spots: Yosemite Valley.

“Thomas Ayres and........

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