Lives of the Hudson

Ian Berry and Tom Lewis

 

USA. Prestel. 2010. First edition. Hardcover. No dust jacket as issued. Accompanies the Exhibition Lives of the Hudson, The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, New York, July 18, 2009 to March 14, 2010. 224 pages. Good Plus.

From its origins in northern New York State's Adirondack mountains to its majestic sweep alongside Manhattan's busy streets, the Hudson River holds a unique place in the history of American art, architecture and literature. This book explores the river's complex history through a variety of thematic currents: the natural river, the imagined river, the human river, and the working river. Along with important works by famed Hudson River School painters, such as Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Cole, this volume features exciting new literary contributions by Rick Moody, Carolyn Forche, John Stilgoe, Philip Lopate and others. Objects of material culture, tourism and science provide a fascinating background of the river's many lives while the works of contemporary artists, including Matthew Buckingham Peter Hutton, Yvonne Jacquette and An-My Le, ask us to reconsider our use of the river and our relationship with nature and history. This book presents an intersection of contrasting and varied stories-environmental, historical and individual-whose journeys all lead back to the Hudson itself.

IAN BERRY is Associate Director and The Susan Rabinowitz Malloy Curator of The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College. He should not be confused with the Magnum photographer with the same name. TOM LEWIS is Professor of English at Skidmore College. Among his many books, Divided Highways: The Interstate Highway System and the Transformation of American Life and Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio also became award-winning documentaries.

The board edges have a few tears. The heel of the spine also has a couple of tears. Little soiling to the fore edges. Slight spine lean. Internally, binding is sound. Text and illustrations clean and bright.