COLORADO

Legard, A.B.

Verlag: Chapman and Hall, London, 1872

Beschreibung

[4],170pp. Publisher's green cloth, spine gilt, boards ruled in blind. Boards lightly rubbed and soiled, corners bumped, spine ends rubbed. Rear hinge neatly repaired. Quite clean internally. Very good. In a yellow cloth slipcase. An account of the American travels of Englishman Allayne Beaumont Legard, printed for private circulation. Legard's observations on the natural and cultural landscape of the United States are wide-ranging, touching on everything from Colorado's mineral wealth, the arability of the land, and the sheep and cattle ranching industries to the state of American politics, religion, and race relations. In regard to Colorado, Legard writes that while "it is the most barren part of the United States I have seen," it nevertheless "offers greater advantage to the farmer than any part of the country" because of its "enormous" mineral wealth. Graff notes that he is "frank and critical about cattle and sheep ranches in Colorado." As for American culture generally, Legard takes a rather unfavorable view. He criticizes Americans for their "idleness and incivility" and considers "the absence of any national religion" as the "darkest blot in the national character," noting that the "foul language and blasphemy used by the majority of the people in ordinary conversation, is most striking to an Englishman." He laments the "mania for advertising" in America, which leads to "[e]very available thing" being made "to do duty as an advertisement." Spanning the length of his journey, from March to June of 1872, the account provides a record not only of Legard's time in Colorado, but also of his stops in New York City, Cincinnati, Chicago, and Detroit. Legard's opinion of Cincinnati is quite favorable, especially when compared to New York, and he offers an interesting description of Chicago as it recovers from the great fire of 1871. Ultimately, Legard's trip is one of disappointment, with America having failed to live up to his expectations. "I went out greatly prejudiced in favour of Americans," he writes, "but I return with an inward loathing of the very thought of some of them." Thus disillusioned, Legard offers this final assessment: "Americans talk so largely, and the simple Briton believes readily so much of what he hears, and reads, that he is doomed, when his clearer sense of observation is called into the question, to be disappointed in all he sees in America." A fascinating and often insightful portrait of America in the second half of the 19th century, written from the perspective of an outsider. HOWES L233. GRAFF 2449. WYNAR 2045. BRADFORD 2967. WILCOX, p.70. NESBIT, BRITISH COMMENT ON THE UNITED STATES 1969. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers WRCAM59056

Bibliografische Details

Titel: COLORADO

Verlag: Chapman and Hall, London

Erscheinungsdatum: 1872