The colossus of roads : myth and symbol along the American highway / Karal Ann Marling ; with an album of Minnesota photographs by Liz Harrison and additional photography by Bruce White.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Marling, Karal Ann.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Folk art--United States--Psychological aspects.

Folk art.

Symbolism in art--United States.

Symbolism in art.

Folklore--United States--Themes, motives.

Folklore.

Popular culture--United States--Psychological aspects.

Popular culture.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (153 pages) : illustrations

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Minneapolis : University of Minnesota Press, c1984, 1985 printing.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

A rich and lively examination of this curious and pervasive tradition.Karal Ann Marling visits dozens of roadside attractions, viewing them analytically, intellectually, and enthusiastically, tracing each one through folklore and literature. Heavily illustrated, this book takes the reader on the road to examine these treasures and all that they represent.

Contents:

Contents; Preface; TALL TALES, TRADEMARKS, AND THE GREAT GATSBY: Midwestern Space Defined; THE HOAX, THE AD, AND THE FRONTIER: Mythological Giants Arise to Fill the Vastness of the American West; ANXIETY, NOSTALGIA, AND WORLD'S FAIRS: Colossi Mark the Borders of a Modern America; FRONTIERS, HIGHWAYS, AND MINIATURE GOLF: The Tourist Becomes a Roadside Colossus; THE GREAT AMERICAN ROADSIDE: Tourist Sculpture in Minnesota; POSTCARDS, SOUVENIRS, AND COME-ONS: Wayside Giants Sell the American Dream; SCALE, PATRIOTISM, AND FUN: Crossing the Last Frontier of Fantasy

NICK CARRAWAY, PAUL BUNYAN, AND BABE, THE BLUE OX: Why Gatsby is ""Great""Notes; Minnesota Colossi; Other Colossi; Photo Album

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes ibliography: p. [103]-126.

ISBN:

0-8166-9206-8

OCLC:

476096286