Natural Visions

InNatural Visions, Finis Dunaway tells the story of how visual imagerysuch as wilderness photographs, New Deal documentary films, and Sierra Club coffee-table booksshaped modern perceptions of the natural world and led to the development of the contemporary conservation movement. By examining the relationship between the camera and environmental politics through detailed studies of key artists and activists, Dunaway captures the emotional and spiritual meaning that became associated with the American landscape. Throughout the book, he reveals how photographers and filmmakers adapted longstanding traditions in American culturethe Puritan jeremiad, the romantic sublime, and the frontier mythto literally picture nature as a place of grace for the individual and the nation. Beautifully illustrated with photographs by Ansel Adams, Eliot Porter, and a host of other artists,Natural Visionswill appeal to a wide range of readers interested in American cultural history, the visual arts, and environmentalism. "InNatural Visions, Dunaway takes us on a cultural tour of many of the most politically powerful environmental images of the twentieth century, using a richly biographical approach to situate images within their full contexts."Thomas Robertson,American Quarterly "Well written, and at times even poetic,Natural Visionsis a compelling study with much to offer both general readers and specialists in environmental representation."Daniel J. Philippon,Environmental History "It is the artists behind the images who interest [Dunaway] most, in particular the way they were carried along by, or leaned against, the political and cultural winds, and how their actions led to the modern environmental movement. He has a fine eye for subtleties, and a light touch."Michael Bond,New Scientist

Finis Dunaway is assistant professor of history at Trent University, Canada.