Each 16 x 12 1/8 in. albumen photograph on 20 7/8 x 17 1/2 in. cardstock mount. Titled, numbered sequentially, and credited to Johnson on mount rectos.

Carbondale, about 15 miles north of Scranton, lies in the heart of Pennsylvania's anthracite coal region, and was the site of the first deep mine for that mineral. It was founded by William and Maurice Wurts, developers of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company and became of major terminus for the Delaware and Hudson Railroad.

This panorama -- along with other scenes in the Pennsylvania coal region -- was probably commissioned by The Delaware and Hudson Railroad as part of a gift or prospectus to investors.

Little is known of Johnson though he apparently operated a studio in Scranton from at least 1863-65. Works from this same series are curated the the J.P. Getty Museum of Art, The National Gallery of Art and The Cleveland Museum of Art.

Rich, and detailed, these prints depict a rural America on the verge of industrialization rarely seen in 19th century American photography.