Without the nineteen upstate reservoirs that supply its water, New
York City as we know it would not exist today. "[Sante] is an
endlessly curious writer with a sharp wit and an elegant prose
style . . . As a physical object, the book is a stunner, loaded
with maps, archival stills of the construction process, vintage
postcards, and ads warning New Yorkers to check their plumbing and
'stop that leak!'"--The Wall Street Journal From 1907 to 1967, a
network of reservoirs and aqueducts was built across more than one
million acres in upstate New York, including Greene, Delaware,
Sullivan, and Ulster Counties. This feat of engineering served to
meet New York City's ever-increasing need for water, sustaining its
inhabitants and cementing it as a center of industry. West of the
Hudson, it meant that twenty-six villages, with their farms, forest
lands, orchards, and quarries, were bought for a fraction of their
value, demolished, and submerged, profoundly altering ecosystems in
ways we will never fully appreciate. This paradox of victory and
loss is at the heart of Nineteen Reservoirs, Lucy Sante's
meticulous account of how New York City secured its seemingly
limitless fresh water supply, and why it cannot be taken for
granted. In inimitable form, Sante plumbs the historical record to
surface forgotten archives and images, bringing lost places back to
life on the page. Her immaculately calibrated sensitivity honors
both perspectives on New York City's reservoir system and helps us
understand the full import of its creation. An essential history of
the New York City region that will reverberate far beyond it,
Nineteen Reservoirs examines universal divisions in our resources
and priorities--between urban and rural, rich and poor, human needs
and animal habitats. This is an unmissable account of triumph,
tragedy, and unintended consequences. With 29 present-day
photographs by Tim Davis
General
Imprint: |
The Experiment LLC
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
August 2022 |
Authors: |
Luc Sante
|
Illustrators: |
Tim Davis
|
Dimensions: |
229 x 140mm (L x W) |
Format: |
Hardcover - Cloth over boards / With dust jacket
|
Pages: |
192 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-61519-865-8 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
1-61519-865-2 |
Barcode: |
9781615198658 |
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!