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The opening of the West after the Civil War drew a flood of
Americans and immigrants to the frontier. Among the liveliest
records of the westering of the 1870s is the series of prints
collected for the first time in this book. "Chronicling the West
for "Harper's showcases 100 illustrations made for the weekly
magazine by French artists Paul Frenzeny and Jules Tavernier on a
cross-country assignment in 1873 and 1874. The pair--"Frenzeny
& Tavernier," as they signed their work--documented the newly
accessible territories, their diverse inhabitants, and the changing
frontier.
Historian Claudine Chalmers focuses on the life and work of
Frenzeny and Tavernier, who were accomplished and adventurous
enough to succeed as "special artists," the label "Harper's Weekly"
gave the illustrators it sent into the field. The job required
imagination, courage, and adaptability, not to mention expert
draftsmanship. Frenzeny, a skilled artist who accepted his adopted
country's many cultures, was also a superb horseman. Tavernier had
been trained to work fast in a variety of media. Both men had the
advantage of viewing America with fresh eyes.
They began their artistic record in the East with "An Emigrant
Boarding-House in New York." Their journey ended in San Francisco,
where they sketched the city's bustling Chinatown and pastoral
Marin County suburbs. Along with each illustration, the artists
sent "Harper's" a description; those captions are reproduced here.
Frenzeny and Tavernier documented the frontier as it evolved. They
depicted the hazards of travel and settlement, from fires to
destitution, and presented disconcerting subject matter--such as
the Sioux Sun Dance--in relentless detail. Their skill has made
some of their drawings, among them "The Strike in the Coal Mine, "
classics of American culture. With pencil and woodblock, Chalmers
shows, these intrepid Frenchmen shaped public perceptions of the
West for decades to come.
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Grass Valley (Hardcover)
Claudine Chalmers, Grass Valley Downtown Association
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R842
R691
Discovery Miles 6 910
Save R151 (18%)
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