We think about the city and the country as opposites, but they have more to do with one another than you would expect.
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The landscape remade, Thiebaud’s Ponds and Streams
Can the commonplace working farmland of California's Sacramento River Valley be a place of of breathtaking beauty?
Inventing America, Colt’s Experimental Pocket Pistol
The gun that "won the West" also transformed American manufacturing and marketing.
Cheap thrills: Coney Island during the Great Depression
According to the artist (Reginald Marsh), at Coney Island, “The best show is the people themselves.”
Hetch Hetchy, Yosemite, and the battle for National Parks
Captured here in paint, this grand Californian landscape would soon disappear under water.
Transforming and honoring the environment at Spiral Jetty
Drought and rain govern when this work of art in Utah’s Great Salt Lake can be seen.
“Leave it as it is”: Yellowstone and the creation of the National Parks
In order to capture the beauty of America’s national parks, Brown faced the prejudices of the lawless West.
A breath of fresh air: industrialization and New York’s Central Park
To bring “polite sociability” to the city, designers blended nature’s greatest hits into one ambitious park.
As contested as the nation: understanding American Gothic
Though often thought of as a simple image of American values, this painting resists easy interpretation.
Becoming a city: daily life in 1820, Brooklyn
This snowy image of a bygone Brooklyn is sprinkled with farm animals, townspeople... and casual racism.
A Landmark Decision: Penn Station and architectural heritage
New York put growth ahead of all else, resulting in the loss of important historic buildings, like Penn Station.
Skyscrapers, cars, and American ambition: The Chrysler Building
The Art Deco style of this skyscraper was urbane and luxurious—a swansong of glamor as the Great Depression hit.
Slums of New York: Jacob Riis and the Progressive era
Riis snapped photos of the urban poor during midnight police raids—but only because he cared.