Amazon.com Review
Never mind how the West was won; this pictorial history of how it was sold is far more interesting. Harvey, who emigrated from England at 15 and started out as a dishwasher, created the first chain of restaurants and railroad hotels in the U.S.--which his heirs expanded into a virtual empire. A person traveling from Chicago to California could stop at Harvey's flagship hotel in Albuquerque and have a complete Southwestern cultural experience without ever leaving the hotel--or so the sales pitch went. All told, a beautifully illustrated, down-to-earth chronicle of how Native America's culture was bastardized for a buck.
From Library Journal
The Fred Harvey Company played a major role in opening the American Southwest to tourism, joining forces with the Santa Fe Railway to produce a newly romanticized and adventurous view of the region and its inhabitants. Their advertising and marketing strategies had an indelible impact on the commercial trade and art production of the region's native peoples. As this skillful account explains, local arts were transformed, revived, and, in some cases, revitalized, even as they were altered to suit tourists' tastes and expectations. The authors profile individuals associated with the company, whether buyers, traders, or collectors. They also clarify the significance of Harvey Company Detours, other excursions, hotels, and the promotion of natural and fabricated tourist attractions in the region. Although the narrative has been clearly generalized for broad public consumption, the story that emerges will interest those wanting to know more about an important redirection in the native arts of the Southwest. Highly recommended for public and academic library collections covering Western history or Native American culture.?Paula A. Baxter, NYPL
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
