See photos of the United States (including national parks, the Grand Canyon, Times Square, and more) in this travel photo gallery from National Geographic.Arizona Diamondbacks’ third baseman Lourdes Gurriel Jr. laughs as one of his sons steals his hat before their game with the Cleveland Guardians, Sunday, June 18, 2023, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)People participate in a mass yoga class during the “Times Square: Mind Over Madness Yoga” event, to celebrate the summer solstice Wednesday, June. 21, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Mormon crickets make their way over a Jersey barrier during the migration of Mormon crickets Saturday, June 17, 2023, in Spring Creek, Nev. Outbreaks of the insects, which are native to the Great Basin and Intermountain West, have been recorded throughout history across the west, from Nevada and Montana to Idaho, Utah and Oregon. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
A housing beam pokes through the windshield of a Camaro following severe weather the night before that swept through Louin, Miss., Monday, June 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)A reveler stands for a portrait during the Mermaid Parade in the Coney Island section of the Brooklyn borough of New York, Saturday, June 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
Genesis Jackson, three, sits in front of a relative’s home following an apparent Sunday night tornado that swept through the small community of Louin, Miss., Monday, June 19, 2023. Possible multiple tornadoes swept through Mississippi overnight, killing one and injuring nearly two dozen, officials said Monday. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)Catherine Cisneros performs across the lighted squares of Christopher Janey’s “Passing Light” solar sculpture at San Antonio International Airport, Wednesday, June 21, 2023, in San Antonio. The sculpture incorporates large plexiglass squares embedded in the ceiling that project a grid of colors that align with a painted grid for less than a minute each Summer Solstice. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani, from Japan, celebrates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Saturday, June 17, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) A woman prays while holding a painting depicting Jesus Christ during a prayer service outside Dodger Stadium, Friday, June 16, 2023, in Los Angeles. Devout baseball fans might view their teams’ performance as heavenly or hellish, depending on the quality of play. Currently, it is the Los Angeles Dodgers’ handling of their annual Pride Night — not the team’s record — that has provoked emotional reactions from religious people, including prominent faith leaders, Catholic nuns, and even the team’s All-Star ace. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen, of the Netherlands, sits in his car during the first practice session at the F1 Canadian Grand Prix auto race in Montreal, Friday, June 16, 2023. (Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press via AP)
An illustrative volume by local historians Norma R. Dalton and Alene Dalton, Nine Mile Canyon (2014), highlights nineteenth- and early twentieth-century settlement and modern tourism of the petroglyph-adorned canyon that spans Carbon and Duchesne counties. In addition to images of early Nine Mile Canyon ranch families—including the Johnstuns, Housekeepers, and Riches—the volume includes captioned photographs of homesteads and families that lived in adjoining Soldier Creek Canyon, Argyle Canyon, and Gate Canyon.
10 “Alexander Street and Arcadia Publishing Launch Local History Collection Containing Hundreds of Thousands of Images and Texts,” News & Press Releases, June 23, 2009, accessed June 9, 2017, alexanderstreet. com/content/alexander-street-and-arcadia-publishing-launch-local-history-collection-containing-hundreds.
In addition to her Helper volume, Martell researched and compiled (with the support of the WM&R Museum) another photographic history, entitled Coal Camps of Eastern Utah (2008). This thematic volume covers the mining towns and coal camps in Carbon and Emery counties—many of which have completely disappeared or are ghost towns—including (but not limited to) Castle Gate, Kenilworth, Winter Quarters, Consumers, Scofield, Spring Canyon, Sunnyside, and the Royal and Bear Canyon Camps. Martell’s selection of photographs is particularly good. She chose many of the photographs from the museum collections, but also chose some from her own personal collection. Detailed captions describe views of immigrant workers, storefronts, rail cars, mine buildings, churches, schools, business owners, and, of course, miners. Many views and group photographs are by the noted Springville photographer, George Edward Anderson.
3 Lisa A. Alzo, “The Future of Genealogy,” Family Chronicle 13 (May/June 2009): 22–26. See also Neal Ungerleider, “Ancestors, Inc.: Inside the Remarkable Rise of the Genealogy Industry,” Fast Company, July 15, 2015, accessed May 24, 2017, fastcompany.com/3048513/ancestors-inc-inside-the-remarkable-rise-of-the-genealogy-industry.
14 Connie Lewis, “‘Salt Lake City’s Historic Architecture’ Takes Delightful Stroll through City,” Deseret News, September 1, 2012, and Reva Bowen, “BYU History Professor Writes Orem History Book,” Provo Daily Herald, June 16, 2010.Library—address settlement, farming, historic sites, and the founding of Brigham Young University. 14 The images in these books focus not only on early settlement and local lore but also on economic transition, crime, transportation, architecture, and urbanization. Although some photographs of significant buildings seem redundant, they document the changing faces of downtown and residential districts. 15 A volume of topical interest, The Pony Express in Utah (2015) by Patrick Hearty and Joseph Hatch, features early photos of riders, wagon trains, company officials, and way stations. 16
What is the reason for the series’ success? Besides its eye-catching cover designs, the Images of America series is an opportunity for wouldbe local authors to have their work published by a major press. As the title of the website’s proposal submission page adjures, “Make Me an Author” emboldens the person who submits. Indeed, Arcadia offers local historians, archivists, and storytellers a chance to share their research and knowledge of community characters, places, and events. “By empowering history and culture enthusiasts to write local stories for local audiences, we create exceptional books that are relevant on a local and personal level, enrich lives, and bring readers closer—to their community, their neighbors, and their past,” the website proclaims. 2
Another early volume in the series that covers a geographical area in south central Utah is The San Rafael Swell (2008) by Dottie Grimes, archivist at the Emery County Archives. Beginning with the geological features in the swell, Grimes includes photographs of natural arches, slot canyons, hoodoos, and the prominent rock formations. The other chapters cover the settlers, cattlemen, and outlaws who occupied the area. Photos document early settler Thaddeus Hambrick, the Swasey brothers and their spouses, and Robbers Roost bandits Matt Warner, Butch Cassidy, and Cassidy’s sidekick, William “Elzy” Lay. This informative volume is complete with images of prominent ranchers, important men and women, landmarks, and the rigs, mine openings, storefronts, and churches that dotted the area. 13
9 Claire Kirch, “BEA 2014: A More Colorful Arcadia,” Publisher’s Weekly (web version), May 30, 2014, accessed May 4, 2017, publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bea/article/62449-bea-2014-a-more-colorful-arcadia.html.This rise in the popularity of genealogical research was also reflected in Arcadia’s book sales. In 2004, after ten years of steady growth, Arcadia Publishing was on target to reach a 27 percent increase in sales. 5 At that time, the typical first-year sales for an Arcadia book was between 1,200 and 1,800 copies. Encountering the same demand, the History Press—an independent publisher based in Charleston, South Carolina—reported “a brisk business in titles designed specifically for local markets.” The History Press began modestly with only twenty books in its inaugural year of 2004, but by 2011 the company was on track to add 325 new titles to its 1,200 titles backlist. 6 When Arcadia bought the History Press in July 2014, it brought together the two largest presses with local or regional content, creating a market giant with 12,000 backlist titles. 7 The merger joined Arcadia’s 9,000 titles, which drew on pictures and other archival material to tell the story of featured communities, with the History Press’s 3,000 titles, which are text-based monographs on regional topics and events. 8
