Sublime Views and Picturesque Embellishments: Westward Expansion and “Progress” in Gilded Age Guidebooks Illustration

In this thesis I apply literary analysis to railroad guidebook illustration (1880-1890) to argue that the framing and decorative embellishments aided the nineteenth century reader in imagining an idealized version of the Western landscape. Although rail travel was quick and removed from the physical experience of the landscape, guidebook illustrations highlight the picturesque aspects of the Western environment and supplement the rail travel experience by guiding the viewer through a contemplative and romantic reading of the landscape. Guidebooks immersed the reader in the progressive narrative of the guidebooks. The authors utilize language that assumes the readers are riding along the transcontinental path as they read, and the imagery serves to engage the readers’ imaginations and guide the viewers in viewing the picturesque and idealized version of the Western landscape.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A.

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Department of the History of Art and Architecture

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Oregon

Year dc:date.issued

2019

Author dc:creator

• Hernandez, Carolyn

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Amstutz, Nina

• History of Photography
• Literary Analysis
• Print Culture
• Romanticism
• The American West
• Victorian Illustration

Statement dc:rights

• All Rights Reserved.

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/1794/24952

OAI record oai:identifier

https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/server/oai/request?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=dim&identifier=oai%3Ascholarsbank.uoregon.edu%3A1794%2F24952