If you'd like to travel back in time and be able to experience Yosemite National Park through the eyes of the first western artists to enter the park, this book will serve as your armchair "time-machine".
In 1979 the Yosemite Natural History Commission invited Mr. Robertson, a U.C. Davis educator, to produce a book on the art of Yosemite. He researched the subject thoroughly, added literary descriptions of the Park, and completed the project in time for publication in 1984. This book also gives an historical summary of the discovery of the park by the western world and contains a critical review of Bunnell's book, "Discovery of the Yosemite and the Indian Wars That Led to That Event".
One underlying theme of this definitive book deals with humankind's ongoing need for what only an acquaintance with wilderness can fulfill.. We are reminded that creative descriptions of a place like Yosemite, such as presented in the book, can lead to an awareness of this important value in our lives.
Robertson not only shares the work of artists down through the years but, in addition, includes photographers and writers. He fills 174 pages with not only beautiful illustrations but sharp critical analysis. For example, he examines the artistic liberty taken by painters in the past to rearrange Yosemite Valley features to make a more dramatic composition.
He reminds us that Mother Nature was the first artist in Yosemite, using her forceful talent to sculpt and design a valley of breathtaking beauty. She was followed by the Ahwahneechee people who made their fine baskets and passed down oral legends about the history of place names in Yosemite. Finally, westerners viewed and spread the word of this magnificent place through writings, drawings, paintings, and photography. We find that the first published drawing of Yosemite was done by Thomas Ayres in 1855 and that the first photograph was taken in 1859 by C. L. Weed.
And down through time we travel, meeting Bierstadt, Cole, Hill, Keith, Hutchings, and other greats until we reach the 1980's. Robertson of course gives important attention to John Muir and Ansel Adams . A sample of what you might find when you voyage with "West of Eden" is the account of the huge mural project attempted in San Francisco in 1892 and of what eventually became of it.
This book was written before popular use of the "Web" but if he had written it now, I'm sure the author would have described how one can today view a virtual cam-recorded Yosemite through this medium from anywhere in the world.
This is truly a book to read at one's leisure over and over again. It can be found at Amazon.com.
IMHO - Your reviewer