02-10-2022, 05:20 PM
Sacred Places: American Tourist Attractions in the Nineteenth Century by John F. Sears
Such a good book. A really interesting exploration of tourist places and what they mean to the formation of the identity of the United States. Of course the book covers Yosemite but it goes into so many more including Yellowstone and Niagara Falls. The weirdest had to be Mauch Chunk which was coal distribution center in Pennsylvania. Tourists went there to see the juxtaposition of industry and nature, waxing rhapsodic about the piles of anthracite.
I mostly read this for it's depiction of Niagara Falls. The Falls is the cautionary tale that made way for the restrictions put in place for Yosemite. The author, Sears, also put Yosemite into a different perspective. From it's beginning it was going to be a tourist destination, the environmentalism didn't arrive until the 20th century. Really good.
Such a good book. A really interesting exploration of tourist places and what they mean to the formation of the identity of the United States. Of course the book covers Yosemite but it goes into so many more including Yellowstone and Niagara Falls. The weirdest had to be Mauch Chunk which was coal distribution center in Pennsylvania. Tourists went there to see the juxtaposition of industry and nature, waxing rhapsodic about the piles of anthracite.
I mostly read this for it's depiction of Niagara Falls. The Falls is the cautionary tale that made way for the restrictions put in place for Yosemite. The author, Sears, also put Yosemite into a different perspective. From it's beginning it was going to be a tourist destination, the environmentalism didn't arrive until the 20th century. Really good.
As a matter of fact, my anger does keep me warm