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 Southern Cultures by Justin T. Clark
Cover of the book For the Freedom of Her Race by Justin T. Clark
Cover of the book A Saint of Our Own by Justin T. Clark
Cover of the book The County of Warren, North Carolina, 1586-1917 by Justin T. Clark
Cover of the book Living the Revolution by Justin T. Clark
Cover of the book The Strange Career of Porgy and Bess by Justin T. Clark
Cover of the book Mother Worship by Justin T. Clark
Cover of the book A Natural-Born Linthead by Justin T. Clark
Cover of the book Labor Under Fire by Justin T. Clark
Cover of the book No Mercy Here by Justin T. Clark
Cover of the book Wouldn't Take Nothin' For My Journey Now by Justin T. Clark
Cover of the book What Is a Madrasa? by Justin T. Clark
Cover of the book Medicalizing Blackness by Justin T. Clark
Cover of the book Party Games by Justin T. Clark
Cover of the book The Poetry of Thomas Hardy 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