At the outset of the twentieth century the debut of the American picture postcard incited widespread enthusiasm for collecting and sending postcard art that lasted decades. In Picturing Illinois, John A. Jakle and Keith A. Sculle examine a diverse set of 200 vintage Illinois picture postcards revealing what locals considered captivating, compelling, and commemorable. They also interpret how individual messages impart the sender's personal perception of local geography and scenery. Jakle and Sculle follow the dialogue between urban Chicago and rural downstate, elucidating the postcard's significance in popular culture and the unique ways in which Illinoisans pictured their world.
| Cover Title Page Copyright Contents Preface and Acknowledgments Introduction Part One: Chicago and Its Suburbs: The Metropolis Part Two: Illinois beyond the Metropolis Epilogue Notes Credits Index | "Picturing Illinois succeeds in reconstructing the tourist's journey through Chicago and Downstate in an exceptionally engaging, informative, and often entertaining way."—Journal of Illinois History
"A fascinating photographic look at the astounding metropolis and the Lincoln-haunted American heartland that together characterize our remarkable state of Illinois. This attractive book will have strong appeal for casual readers as well as serious students interested in Illinois history, photographic art, and the cultural impact of the picture postcard." —John E. Hallwas, author of Dime Novel Desperadoes: The Notorious Maxwell Brothers
"This compelling collection of archive images shows Chicago and Illinois at their best. The postcard images, family portraits, and advertising art will stimulate readers' imaginations, making them yearn to have been there." —John C. Hudson, author of Chicago: A Geography of the City and Its Region
"The authors succeed in their effort to establish postcards as worthy of analysis and to suggest their importance as texts through which individuals, private businesses, and governments engaged with state history and landscapes."—The Annals of Iowa
"A delightful way to look at the city and state."—Jewish Star
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John A. Jakle is a professor emeritus of geography at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Keith A. Sculle is the head of research and education for the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Together they have coauthored several books, including Fast Food: Roadside Restaurants in the Automobile Age, The Motel in America, and The Gas Station in America.
