About this item
Highlights
- A wave of publicity during the 1980s projected Santa Fe to the world as an exotic tourist destination--America's own Tahiti in the desert.
- Author(s): Chris Wilson
- 420 Pages
- History, United States
Description
About the Book
Debunks the great tourist myth, and explains how the Santa Fe architectural and design style, so popular with millions of visitors today, was consciously created by Anglos in the early 20th century.Book Synopsis
A wave of publicity during the 1980s projected Santa Fe to the world as an exotic tourist destination--America's own Tahiti in the desert. The Myth of Santa Fe goes behind the romantic adobe facades and mass marketing stereotypes to tell the fascinating but little known story of how the city's alluring image was quite consciously created early in this century, primarily by Anglo-American newcomers.
By investigating the city's trademark architectural style, public ceremonies, the historic preservation movement, and cultural traditions, Wilson unravels the complex interactions of ethnic identity and tourist image-making. Santa Fe's is a distinctly modern success story--the story of a community that transformed itself from a declining provincial capital of 5,000 in 1912 into an internationally recognized tourist destination. But it is also a cautionary tale about the commodification of Native American and Hispanic cultures, and the social displacement and ethnic animosities that can accompany a tourist boom.
From the Back Cover
A wave of publicity during the 1980's projected Santa Fe to the world as an exotic tourist destination- America's own Tahiti in the desert. The Myth of Santa Fe goes behind the romantic adobe facades and mass marketing stereotypes to tell the fascinating but little known story of how the city's alluring image was quite consciously created early in the century, primarily by Anglo-American newcomers.Review Quotes
"["The Myth of Santa Fe"], in short, is must reading for anyone interested in Santa Fe and New Mexico."
"[Wilson] delivers a brilliant portrait of a complex and rich cultuural heritage. . . Highly recommended for most libraries."
"I'd have to say really isn't another book like ["The Myth of Santa Fe"]. . . it's essential reading. . . This is a book I will reread many times over the years. It is not only a basic reference, it is also a wise and humane work."
"I'd have to say really isn't another book like Ý"The Myth of Santa Fe"¨. . . it's essential reading. . . This is a book I will reread many times over the years. It is not only a basic reference, it is also a wise and humane work."
""The Myth of Santa Fe" is a truly superb book. It deserves a wide and serious reading."
"Ý"The Myth of Santa Fe"¨, in short, is must reading for anyone interested in Santa Fe and New Mexico."
"ÝWilson¨ delivers a brilliant portrait of a complex and rich cultuural heritage. . . Highly recommended for most libraries."
"["The Myth of Santa Fe], in short, is must reading for anyone interested in Santa Fe and New Mexico."