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Monumental Lies: Early Nevada Folklore of the Wild West opens the
door to understanding how legends and traditions emerged during the
first decades following the "Rush to Washoe," which transformed the
region beginning in 1859. During this Wild West period, there was
widespread celebration of deceit, manifesting in tall tales,
burlesque lies, practical jokes, and journalistic hoaxes. Humor was
central to these endeavors and practitioners easily found
themselves scorned if they failed to be adequately funny. This
ethos became central to the way folklore emerged during the
formative years of the Nevada territory and state. The tens of
thousands of people who came to the West, attracted by gold and
silver mining, brought distinct cultural legacies. The interaction
of diverse perspectives, even while new stories and traditions
coalesced or simply appeared, was a complex process. Author Ronald
M. James addresses how the fluidity of the region affected new
expressions of folklore as they took root. Mark Twain, often a
go-to source for collections of early tall tales of this region,
cannot be overlooked, but his interaction with local traditions was
specific and narrow. More importantly, William Wright—publishing
as Dan De Quille—arose as a key collector of legends, a
counterpart of early European folklorists. With a bedrock
understanding of what unfolded in the nineteenth century, it is
possible to consider.
This is the eighteenth volume in the acclaimed paperback
series...the only county series that can legitimately claim to
represent the past and present of a nation. "Cornish Studies" has
consistently - and successfully - sought to investigate and
understand the complex nature of Cornish identity, as well as to
discuss its implications for society and governance in contemporary
Cornwall. The article which provides the cover illustration is a
fascinating account of the rise and importance of swimming matches
in Victorian Cornwall. These demonstrated both the beneficial
aspects of the sport, and the importance of swimming prowess in
life-saving around the Cornish coast - an important consideration
for the developing tourist trade - the latter providing a
significant antidote to the simultaneous construction of maritime
Cornwall by a range of English writers as a dangerous region
inhabited by wreckers, smugglers and pirates. This latest and
diverse collection also includes articles on mining in both
nineteenth century and contemporary Cornwall, an exploration of
identity using material gathered through individual interviews, an
assessment of research into Cornish folklore, discussion of the
modern growth of alternative 'Celtic spiritualities' in Cornwall,
and a fresh perspective on the Middle Cornish language of medieval
Cornish drama. Cover Illustration: Exhibited at the Royal Academy
in 1890, it shows the start of a race from the 1896 swimming
matches in St Ives.
The twentieth volume in the acclaimed paperback series . . . the
only county series that can legitimately claim to represent the
past and present of a nation. Cornish Studies has consistently -
and successfully - sought to investigate and understand the complex
nature of Cornish identity, as well as to discuss its implications
for society and governance in contemporary Cornwall. Publication of
Cornish Studies: Twenty marks two decades of this internationally
acclaimed paperback series The volume discusses Cornish medieval
and early modern studies, examines the efforts of Cornish language
revivalists past and present, and considers the relation between
Cornish folk tradition and Cornish identity, as well as evaluating
Cornish literature in Cornwall and Australia, investigating the
distinctive features of Cornish politics in the first half of the
twentieth century, analysing the separation of wives and husbands
during Cornwall's 'Great Emigration, and reviewing Cornish mine
accidents. "For the past twenty years, Cornish Studies has stood at
the very heart of the ongoing scholarly conversation over what it
means - and what is has meant - to be Cornish. Interdisciplinary
and internationalist in its approach, the series adopts a wide
variety of perspectives in order to set the people of Cornwall -
and the wider Cornish diaspora - in a truly global context". Mark
Stoyle, Professor of History, University of Southampton
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Cornish Studies Volume 15 (Paperback)
Philip Payton; Contributions by Bernard Deacon, John Dirring, Charles Fahey, D. H. Frost, …
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R896
Discovery Miles 8 960
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Ships in 12 - 17 working days
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The fifteenth volume in this acclaimed paperback series has been
redesigned and includes articles on the Cornish language and early
modern Cornwall, Cornish migration and settlement in Victoria
(Australia) and Nevada (America), Cornish politics and economics,
the poet John Betjeman, and popular music in contemporary Cornwall.
By considering the folklore of Cornwall in a Northern European
context, this book casts light on a treasury of often-ignored
traditions. Folklore studies internationally have long considered
Celtic material, but scholars have tended to overlook Cornwall's
collections. The Folklore of Cornwall fills this gap, placing
neglected stories on a par with those from other regions where
Celtic languages have deep roots. The Folklore of Cornwall
demonstrates that Cornwall has a distinct body of oral tradition,
even when examining legends and folktales that also appear
elsewhere. The way in which Cornish droll tellers achieved this
unique pattern is remarkable; with the publication of this book, it
becomes possible for folklorists to look to the peninsula beyond
the River Tamar for insight. A very readable text with popular
appeal, this book serves as an introduction to folklore studies for
the novice while also offering an alternative means to consider
Cornish studies for advanced scholars. The comparative analysis
combined with an innovative method of The Folklore of Cornwall is
not to be found in other treatments of the subject.
By considering the folklore of Cornwall in a Northern European
context, this book casts light on a treasury of often-ignored
traditions. Folklore studies internationally have long considered
Celtic material, but scholars have tended to overlook Cornwall's
collections. The Folklore of Cornwall fills this gap, placing
neglected stories on a par with those from other regions where
Celtic languages have deep roots. The Folklore of Cornwall
demonstrates that Cornwall has a distinct body of oral tradition,
even when examining legends and folktales that also appear
elsewhere. The way in which Cornish droll tellers achieved this
unique pattern is remarkable; with the publication of this book, it
becomes possible for folklorists to look to the peninsula beyond
the River Tamar for insight. A very readable text with popular
appeal, this book serves as an introduction to folklore studies for
the novice while also offering an alternative means to consider
Cornish studies for advanced scholars. The comparative analysis
combined with an innovative method of The Folklore of Cornwall is
not to be found in other treatments of the subject.
When brothers Ethan and Hosea Grosh left Pennsylvania in 1849, they
joined throngs of men from all over the world intent on finding a
fortune in the California Gold Rush. Their search for wealth took
them from San Francisco into the gold country and then over the
Sierra into Nevada's Gold Canyon, where they placer-mined for gold
and discovered a deposit of silver. The letters they sent back to
their family offer vivid commentaries on the turbulent western
frontier, the diverse society of the Gold Rush camps, and the
heartbreaking labor and frustration of mining. Their lively
descriptions of Gold Canyon provide one of the earliest accounts of
life in what would soon become the fabulously wealthy Comstock
Mining District.
The Groshes' letters are rich in color and important historical
details. Generously annotated and with an introduction that
provides a context for the brothers' career and the setting in
which they tried to make their fortune, these documents powerfully
depict the often harsh realities of Gold Rush life and society.
Spent cartridges. The pieces of an original Tabasco Pepper Sauce
bottle. Shards of a ceramic pot, stained red. For archaeologists
each of the thousands of artifacts uncovered at a site tells a
story. For noted Comstock authority Ronald M. James, it is a story
resulting from decades of research and excavation at one of the
largest National Historic Landmarks in America, the Nevada town
that, with the discovery of the Comstock Lode, became a boomtown
microcosm of the American West. Drawing on the work of hundreds of
volunteers, students, and professional archaeologists, Virginia
City: Secrets of a Western Past shows how every detail-from
unearthed artifacts to reports of local saloons to plans for the
cemetery to surviving nineteenth-century buildings-adds to our view
of Virginia City when it was one of the richest places on earth.
James recreates this unlikely epitome of frontier industry and
cosmopolitan living, the thriving hub of corporate executives,
middle-class families, miners, prostitutes, and barkeepers-and more
foreign-born residents per capita than anywhere else in the
country-in a spot that had begun its life a few years earlier as
the mining camp of several lucky guys. An excavation of the history
of Virginia City, a window on the heyday of the American frontier,
James's book is also an enlightening look at how archaeology brings
the story of the past to life.
Brothers Ethan and Hosea Grosh left Pennsylvania in 1849, joining
young men from all over the world intent on making a fortune in the
Cali fornia Gold Rush. Their search for wealth took them across
Mexico, by land and sea to San Francisco, to gold country in the
Sierra foothills, and finally into Nevada's Gold Canyon, where they
discovered a deposit of silver near the fabulous Comstock Lode.
Never before published, the Grosh brothers' letters are among the
most historically significant documents of the Gold Rush era. The
letters-disintegrating, scorched by fire, and nearly illegible-were
preserved as evidence to be used in family lawsuits in which shares
of the brothers' wealth were contested. The Nevada Historical
Society purchased them in 2007 after ten years of negotiation with
the Grosh family. With their publication, the true story of the
Grosh brothers is finally told in their own words. Greatly enhanced
by the annotations and introductions of editors Ronald James and
Robert Stewart, the letters constitute an essential contribution to
Gold Rush history, separating harsh reality from romantic myth. In
the end, these letters are the real treasure: fascinating,
insightful, and poignant.
Founded in 1859, Virginia City quickly became world famous for its
extraordinary prosperity. Over the next two decades, the mines of
"the Richest City on Earth" yielded millions in gold and silver.
The newly wealthy built mansions and churches, opera houses and
schools, with furniture, fashions, and entertainment imported from
Europe and the Far East. Here young Samuel Clemens, reporting for
the "Territorial Enterprise" in 1863, first called himself Mark
Twain. At its height Virginia City was a magnet for immigrants and
the world leader in technological innovations in mining.
The city's story did not end when the Comstock Lode played out.
Beginning in the 1930s, bohemian artists, literati, and tourists
were intrigued by this remnant of the Old West. The leader of
Manhattan's cafe society, Lucius Beebe, moved here and relaunched
the "Territorial Enterprise" in 1950. Television's most popular
western from 1959 to 1973, "Bonanza," located its fictional
Ponderosa Ranch nearby. In the summer of 1965, a handful of Bay
Area musicians, including Big Brother and the Holding Company,
performed at the Red Dog Saloon and launched psychedelic rock, part
of the inspiration for a defining decade of youth culture. Today it
is both a National Historic Landmark District and a living
community. Visitors come to enjoy its saloons and restaurants,
admire its architecture, and learn from its museums and exhibits.
"A Short History of Virginia City" will enhance their experience
and will also be enjoyed by anyone interested in the history of
Nevada, mining, and the Old West.
- Includes an illustrated walking tour describing more than thirty
buildings and sites
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