Includes bibliographical references (pages 281-304) and index.
Contents:
History, straight up. Hard truths ; Immigration nation: the log cabin as freedom ; Founding Fathers throwing shade ; The log cabin as colonization -- Myth-making (and selling). The cabin as muse ; The log cabin, populist icon ; An American myth, vol. 1 ; The log cabin and that "peculiar institution" -- Splinters. An American myth, Vol. 2: This time it's per$onal ; Rich log, poor log ; Going nuclear ; The log cabin and deforestation ; The log cabin, ready to wear -- Conclusion.
Summary:
Like a wooden security blanket that Americans reach for when times get tough, the log cabin has endured as a uniquely American symbol of home and hearth. This strain of cabin fever is no fleeting trend: It has struck at regular intervals since the early 1900s, when log cabin vacations first became an option for an increasingly mobile America. Now the cozy cabin aesthetic is found, like a collective fantasy, in every corner of our national culture. But how did it all begin? This is an image-driven history of log cabins in America. Exploring the log cabin's hidden past, this book draws on colonial diaries and journalistic accounts, as well as paintings, illustrations, and graphics to show how the log cabin-- once derided as a poor immigrant's hovel-- became an American institution and a modern ambition. Bursting with quirk, charm, and fascinating trivia, [this book] is the perfect companion for cabin dwellers, vacationers, and daydreamers alike.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.