Description
The construction of the transcontinental railroad (1865-1869) marked a milestone in United States history, symbolizing both the joining of the country's two coasts and the taming of its frontier wilderness by modern technology. But it was through the power of images - and especially the photograph - that the railroad attained its iconic status. "Iron Muse" provides a unique look at the production, distribution, and publication of images of the transcontinental railroad: from their use as an official record by the railroad corporations, to their reproduction in the illustrated press and travel guides, and finally to their adaptation to direct sales and albums in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Tracing the complex relationships and occasional conflicts between photographer, publisher, and curator as they crafted the photographs' different meanings over time, Willumson provides a comprehensive portrayal of the creation and evolution of an important slice of American visual culture.
About the Author
Glenn Willumson is Director of the Graduate Program in Museum Studies and Professor of Art History at the University of Florida.
Reviews
"This meticulous investigation will appeal to historians of photography, of the American West, and of railroads... Recommended." -- M. Nilsen CHOICE "Glenn Willumson's book Iron Muse is a wonderfully written account of efforts to photograph the constuction of the transcontinental railroad and promote its successes... Wonderfully illustrated, this book relies on the larger visual culture of the era and reproduces prints, paintings, and newspapers as well as the photographs themselves... Those without a stated interest in these topics will develop one because of the author's engaging writing style and compelling presentation." -- Rachel M. Sailor Winterthur Portfolio
Book Information
ISBN 9780520270947
Author Glenn Willumson
Format Hardback
Page Count 254
Imprint University of California Press
Publisher University of California Press
Weight(grams) 862g
Dimensions(mm) 254mm * 178mm * 28mm
About the Author
Glenn Willumson is Director of the Graduate Program in Museum Studies and Professor of Art History at the University of Florida.
Reviews
"This meticulous investigation will appeal to historians of photography, of the American West, and of railroads... Recommended." -- M. Nilsen CHOICE "Glenn Willumson's book Iron Muse is a wonderfully written account of efforts to photograph the constuction of the transcontinental railroad and promote its successes... Wonderfully illustrated, this book relies on the larger visual culture of the era and reproduces prints, paintings, and newspapers as well as the photographs themselves... Those without a stated interest in these topics will develop one because of the author's engaging writing style and compelling presentation." -- Rachel M. Sailor Winterthur Portfolio
Book Information
ISBN 9780520270947
Author Glenn Willumson
Format Hardback
Page Count 254
Imprint University of California Press
Publisher University of California Press
Weight(grams) 862g
Dimensions(mm) 254mm * 178mm * 28mm
