The Beautiful and Enduring Ozarks [Paperback]

Leland Payton (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0967392500 | ISBN-13: 978-0967392509 | Publication Date: November 1, 1999 | Edition: 1st

This photographic essay examines the two aspects the Ozark region is famous for: its sublime natural beauty and its conservative folk culture. Leland Payton finds something of value in each. There are mist-filled photographs of scenic valleys and pictures of the spring-fed rivers' scaly inhabitants. The people of the region are lovingly portrayed, but not idealized. Payton interweaves personal experience, extensive knowledge of local history, readings in frontier travel journals and natural history to create a fresh and original look at one of America's fabled regions.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Leland Payton's roots run deep through the hills and mist-filled river valleys of the Ozark Mountains. Born and raised in the Missouri Ozarks, he is a descendant of Scotch-Irish pioneers who crossed through the Cumberland Gap soon after Daniel Boone. An image maker from childhood on, he studied painting under Edwin Dickinson at the Art Student's League in New York. He took up photography in the 1960s and became one of the first to do underwater photography in the clear, spring-fed streams of the Ozarks. He has sketched, painted, and photographed the region and its people all his life. Exhibitions of his photographs have been shown in many art galleries, including the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City, the St. Louis Art Museum, and the Springfield (MO) Art Museum. He is also co-author (with wife Crystal) of several books on popular culture published by Abbeville Press and St. Martin's Press in New York, Chronicle Books in San Francisco, and others. He is both a real hillbilly and a real artist, as this book proves.

Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Lens & Pen Pr; 1st edition (November 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967392500
• ISBN-13: 978-0967392509
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 7.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,730,061 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #69 in Books > Travel > United States > States > Missouri

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Ozarks are beautiful indeed!, June 12, 2001

By 

David Meissiner (Missouri) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Beautiful and Enduring Ozarks (Paperback)

THE BEAUTIFUL AND ENDURING OZARKS not only looks like the Ozarks, it has the feel of it. I live there. Ozark rivers are photographed in their best light. The region's folklore is integrated into the text. Really high quality book and true to its title. Perhaps the best flavor of the Ozarks in book form I've seen.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Almost as good as a visit!, April 4, 2002

By 

Lori (EVANSTON, Israel) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Beautiful and Enduring Ozarks (Paperback)

Anyone who loves the Ozarks will be touched and moved by Leland Payton's photographs, which capture the hills, plains, parks, towns and people of the place in all of their rugged, yet fragile beauty. Books of regional photography often feature dirt-dry text, but not this one! Mr. Payton's brief history of the Ozark landscape is fresh, easy to read and full of interesting ideas. As an added bonus, he has included images from antique postcards and tour books, not to mention photos of wonderful vintage hillbilly souvenirs! This book is almost as much fun to explore as the Ozarks themselves.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Enduring and Endearing Book, March 4, 2009

By 

Waymon Cox (Murfreesboro, AR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Beautiful and Enduring Ozarks (Paperback)

I received this book as a Christmas present last year and read it in about an hour. I was pleased with the simple, organized information presented and the rich photography. The black and white photos give a sense of the Ozark Plateau's far-reaching history and beauty, while the color images detail a unique heritage that continues today. In general I enjoy the details afforded by black and white images and the vividness revealed by color photographs. My only criticism is that this book seems to rely heavily on contemporary black and white photos and a few washed-out pictures. This may have been deliberate to keep publishing prices down, but I feel the book may have benefited better had more (still, not all) of the photos been color.
In all, I appreciate the beautiful places and people represented in this book and believe it is an excellent introduction for anyone who hasn't viewed this rustic American region in person. For anyone seeking more detailed information about the history and present struggle of the Ozarks, in addition to details about popular vacationing spots in the region, I suggest A Living History of the Ozarks, by Phyllis Rossiter.
A Living History of the Ozarks