Wonderlandscape : Yellowstone National Park and the evolution of an American cultural icon
(Book)

"August 2017"--Title page verso.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 267-277) and index.

Blends together history and nature writing to provide a new perspective on Yellowstone and what it has come to represent, explaining the park's relationship to America throughout history.

"As America's premier national park, Yellowstone today stands for wilderness, ecological science, and natural beauty. But those associations, and others, have evolved since the park's founding in 1872. Evocatively written and masterfully researched, [this book] presents a new perspective on Yellowstone, examining how the emotions evoked by its natural wonders explain the park's relationship to America as a whole. Whether it is artists like Thomas Moran and Ansel Adams, naturalists, entrepreneurs, or a pop culture icon like Yogi Bear, Clayton shows how these characters in the story of Yellowstone reflect and redefine the park for their own era. When Ernest Thompson Seton first observed bears from a garbage pit in 1897, his adventures highlighted the way the park was transforming from a set of geological oddities to a wildlife sanctuary, mirroring the nation's newfound concerns about disappearing populations of bison and other species. Subsequent eras added democratic patriotism, ecosystem science, and spiritual inspiration as core hallmarks of the park. Whether it is an unpeopled wilderness, a setting that allows for displays of Rooseveltian masculinity, or a family funhouse, Yellowstone boasts diverse wonders that continually meet our nation's changing needs. As the National Park System enters its second century, the meaning of the national parks--and Yellowstone as the system's flagship--is again central to our culture. Wonderlandscape shows the changes in Yellowstone's heritage, and how it will continue to transform and evolve for generations to come."--Dust jacket flap.