City of Second Sight

Nineteenth-Century Boston and the Making of American Visual Culture

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Sociology, Urban, History, Americas, United States
Cover of the book City of Second Sight by Justin T. Clark, The University of North Carolina Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Justin T. Clark ISBN: 9781469638744
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press Publication: March 16, 2018
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press Language: English
Author: Justin T. Clark
ISBN: 9781469638744
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
Publication: March 16, 2018
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press
Language: English

In the decades before the U.S. Civil War, the city of Boston evolved from a dilapidated, haphazardly planned, and architecturally stagnant provincial town into a booming and visually impressive metropolis. In an effort to remake Boston into the "Athens of America," neighborhoods were leveled, streets straightened, and an ambitious set of architectural ordinances enacted. However, even as residents reveled in a vibrant new landscape of landmark buildings, art galleries, parks, and bustling streets, the social and sensory upheaval of city life also gave rise to a widespread fascination with the unseen. Focusing his analysis between 1820 and 1860, Justin T. Clark traces how the effort to impose moral and social order on the city also inspired many—from Transcendentalists to clairvoyants and amateur artists—to seek out more ethereal visions of the infinite and ideal beyond the gilded paintings and glimmering storefronts.

By elucidating the reciprocal influence of two of the most important developments in nineteenth-century American culture—the spectacular city and visionary culture—Clark demonstrates how the nineteenth-century city is not only the birthplace of modern spectacle but also a battleground for the freedom and autonomy of the spectator.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In the decades before the U.S. Civil War, the city of Boston evolved from a dilapidated, haphazardly planned, and architecturally stagnant provincial town into a booming and visually impressive metropolis. In an effort to remake Boston into the "Athens of America," neighborhoods were leveled, streets straightened, and an ambitious set of architectural ordinances enacted. However, even as residents reveled in a vibrant new landscape of landmark buildings, art galleries, parks, and bustling streets, the social and sensory upheaval of city life also gave rise to a widespread fascination with the unseen. Focusing his analysis between 1820 and 1860, Justin T. Clark traces how the effort to impose moral and social order on the city also inspired many—from Transcendentalists to clairvoyants and amateur artists—to seek out more ethereal visions of the infinite and ideal beyond the gilded paintings and glimmering storefronts.

By elucidating the reciprocal influence of two of the most important developments in nineteenth-century American culture—the spectacular city and visionary culture—Clark demonstrates how the nineteenth-century city is not only the birthplace of modern spectacle but also a battleground for the freedom and autonomy of the spectator.

More books from The University of North Carolina Press

Cover of the book Mirror and Veil by Justin T. Clark
Cover of the book Bernardo de Gálvez by Justin T. Clark
Cover of the book The Rise and Fall of the Branchhead Boys by Justin T. Clark
Cover of the book The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture by Justin T. Clark
Cover of the book Farm Fresh North Carolina by Justin T. Clark
Cover of the book The Basis of Progressive Evolution by Justin T. Clark
Cover of the book Jack London, Enhanced Ebook by Justin T. Clark
Cover of the book Army at Home by Justin T. Clark
Cover of the book The Walking Qur'an by Justin T. Clark
Cover of the book America's Founding Food by Justin T. Clark
Cover of the book The Divided Family in Civil War America by Justin T. Clark
Cover of the book Lydia Cabrera and the Construction of an Afro-Cuban Cultural Identity by Justin T. Clark
Cover of the book Juries and the Transformation of Criminal Justice in France in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries by Justin T. Clark
Cover of the book Our Daily Bread by Justin T. Clark
Cover of the book Sons of the Sierra by Justin T. Clark
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy