Picturing the Past: Illustrated Histories and the American Imagination, 1840-1900

In the 1840s a revolution began in both book publishing and the presentation of American history. Inexpensive techniques for reproducing visual images in books allowed established artists, who often had no training in history, to present their own patriotic interpretations of historical events. This is an illustrated history of these often maligned illustrated history books, offering a detailed look into the visual culture of the past. Pfitzer finds that these books were directed at not only semiliterate immigrants but also middle-class Americans seeking to reaffirm their patriotism. Not surprisingly, many books contained sentimental and even comic misrepresentations of history, but some authors and illustrators also showed real sparks of genius in the way they condensed the past and made it comprehensible.