Road Trips Through History is an intriguing look at some of America’s buildings, historic districts, and other pieces of history through the eyes of a preservationist. This collection of Dwight Young’s essays brings together a witty and often personal approach to exploring America through its main streets, its monuments, its starry skies, and the successful and unsuccessful preservationist movements surrounding them. These essays offer a unique perspective into the various elements of society that are disappearing for the sake of progress. At times, the essays seem to carry a similar message that progress often means deleting the past, and Young describes just how dangerous that thought can be to one’s history. Young’s Road Trip Through History even takes us to the island of Kizhi, Russia to see the preservation of wooden cathedrals. This compilation of essays appeals to the reader on a personal level, and draws us in by illustrating areas of our culture that many people can relate to, such as the feelings tied to places.
Often times while reading through these essays, I found my memory drifting to similar places: drive-in movies that I frequented as a child that were torn down, main streets that had been preserved in my hometown in PA, or the courthouse in Punta Gorda, FL that has taken years to restore since Hurricane Charley. The essay on Kizhi, Russia’s wooden cathedrals reminded me of one of my awe-inspiring museum moments that I had recently in Suzhdal, Russia. At an outdoor museum, stood an Orthodox Cathedral created entirely out of wood; it was breathtaking. Every angle, every inch of it was captivating and inspiring, and it was being restored. It was almost humorous to look at this building that was quite clearly 17th-18th century architecture being redone in today’s Russia. What that building must have meant to the people of that small town who had lived through so much of their own dramatic history, one can only guess. That feeling of a building making you smile, a front porch feeling like home, a monument remembering something important is universal, just as the need for preservation.
Young’s essays are successful because he covers a wide scope of topics and he does so from a personal perspective. Through explaining how destruction and reconstruction touched not only him, but was visible in others such as in the case of the two women at the Whitelaw, Young brings his arguments home. He does not always go to the most obvious examples, but small town examples which resonate within the individual. He shows the struggles and the triumphs of preservationists; even including one on preservation of the starry sky in New Mexico.
This collection of essays explains the preservation history through personal appeals, witty words, and hometown examples. The author does a wonderful job of exploring preservationist work through several different avenues and this book is a must read for anyone, because it not only reminds us of how important places and history are for us today, but also of how important it is that we continue this work for future generations.
The Final Frontier?
15 years ago
5 comments:
I agree with you that Young is successful with his collection because of his personal touches. Like I said in my post, I felt as if I were reading his diary or having a personal conversation with him rather than him lecturing in a classroom. He made preservation real rather than abstract and tedious.
While reading this collection, I was in my hometown for the weekend and I took a closer look at places I had known for years. It really opened my eyes to my own history and the places I had lived and the history of the town I lived in.
I fully agree with you. And I love your comment about Young not going with the most obvious examples of preservation. A starry sky or lyrics made famous by an Eagles song are certainly not what I had in mind before I read his collection of essays. He really does do an excellent job of finding examples, that as you said, resonate with audience.And your pictures are great!
I too took a trip down memory lane as I was reading Young's articles. Young's argument on the importance of tangible objects and buildings as vehicles of telling history was one that I could easily relate to my past and present experiences. Even as a little girl, I was a preservationist. Every summer in my grandma's front yard, I pulled away at overgrown grass that surrounded the stone well where she used to collect water when she was little. After the grass was gone, I would spalsh the rocks with water until they were shiny enough to satisfy my expectations. When I finished doing that, I would lay in the grass and look at the old farm house where she grew up, and pictured what life was like then. When I walked into that house, the smell of the old wooden floors brought me that much closer to history. And not just any history, but my family's history.
I could go on an on about my little quirks as a child. The point is that Young really struck a cord with me, and apparently with others in the class. It truly is important to preserve the buildings, battlefields, and other historical aspects of our history in order to really appreciate where we came from. As you have mentioned, Young's book is a must read and an important insight into the realm of historic preservation.
I had fun while reading this book. I reflected on my family's past and the history of Tallahassee. As Katie called it taking a trip down memory lane. I agree with Katie that Young's argument on the importance of tangible objects and buildings as vehicles of telling history was one could easily be related to personal experiences. I can not say that while I was growing up that historic buildings were something I though of as being important to society. I wish I had the love for historic preservation growing up that I have now. I have become preservationist my later life. When I was young I went to several places all over the world and because it was something my family did often I guess that why I never cared about the places because at the time I felt everybody visited these places so what’s the big deal.
While reading these essays I started thinking about places around Tallahassee. I have known about many of these historic sites for years but never really though about them as being important to my personal history until I made a visit to them over the summer. I learned about their history and how it is directly related to the area of the town I live in. If it were not for the men and women in the early history of Tallahassee things would be much different for me personally. This book made me realize just how important these places are for Tallahassee and for me. The history of Tallahassee is something I hope to learn more about because it is where my wife and I have made our home. Young’s essays explain in great detail just why people preserve things and it makes me want to find things from my family’s past to preserve.
Young’s essays remind us that places are important to us. Even pictures of buildings or places that are important to us can bring back a flood of memories, often quite vivid. Places can also build unity, I would think the cathedral in Suzhdal is something of pride for its residents. No matter where they are Suzhdalians have the shared memory of their cathedral and their experiences there. While at times slightly depressing, I think it was important Young included some of the preservation movement’s failures. Their (our) work is not done and resting on one’s laurels will only allow more destruction. This book is written from a very personable angle, but, despite their public nature , places are very personal to individuals. They help locate and ground our past with concrete examples, ensuring we never forget what happened there. This is why preservation is so important.
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