In the Land of the Delight-Makers: An Archaeological Survey in the American West
A Documentary Photography Book (with text)
1988-89
(University of Utah Press 1991)
Question: How do we get beyond worn-out stereotypes when depicting the modern American West?
I suspected there were more archaeologists than cowboys at work in the region and I wanted this book to poke at the stubborn persistence of icons. The cover image was taken on survey in Capulin Canyon in Bandelier National Monument, northern New Mexico. It is included in the Indelible West (see next). I think of this book as a ‘double click’ on the image.
“During the summers of 1988 and 1989, I had the opportunity to work with the National Park Service’s Bandelier National Monument Archaeological Survey as a photographer. Initially, I went into the field with the simple goal of capturing the spirit of the survey for the Park Service … I created this book with three goals in mind: first, to introduce a long-neglected aspect of archaeological fieldwork to the reading public; second, to contribute to the education of the archaeological enthusiast; and third, to place archaeologists in the larger context of the modern American West …” – from the Introduction
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