Last summer I received a complimentary copy of 59 Illustrated National Parks, Celebrating 100 Years of Wilderness and Wonder, a beautiful 9-inch by 12-inch coffee table book by Joel and Nathan Anderson. Since receiving it and reading it cover to cover, I’ve left it on my big barnwood coffee table so that I can continue to pick it up and feast my eyes on the gorgeous artwork within its pages.
There have been many mornings and evenings when I’ve settled down and enjoyed the photography and artwork, while dreaming of traveling to these historic and unique sites. (Last summer, we spent a week in Glacier Park and frankly, I still feel refreshed from that trip, especially when my mind’s eye takes me back to the trails and mountain lakes.)
The book’s iconic posters, created by the Anderson Design Group in Nashville, complement a collection of historic photography, 12 oil paintings, travel tips and history of the National Park Service.
The Anderson Design Group worked on this project for 5 years, studying rendering techniques, typography and color palettes found in poster art in the 1920s and 1930s, similar to artwork reflecting progress from the Work Projects Administration.
You may want to buy one for the coffee table and one for framing artwork. It’s that good.
Yellowstone is the first park highlighted. It was our first official national park. I appreciate the additional information found at the bottom of the page for each park that includes location, date established, best time of year to visit, what to look for and an interesting “Did you know?” fact. Sometimes, the author includes “best activity,” “best view,” “best photo spot” and “best hike.”
In the forward to the book, author Nathan Anderson visited several of the parks with his father, Joel, before penning the book. He wrote,
It’s important to remember that the Parks haven’t always existed. And they are not permanent unless we keep them that way … They are wild, yet fragile, wonderful places that needed protection from human nature before it was too late.
59 Illustrated National Parks, Celebrating 100 Years of Wilderness and Wonder retails for $49.99. Visit the Anderson Design Group website for more information: https://www.andersondesigngroupstore.com/book_american-cities_160-page-national-parks-coffee-table-book_anderson-design-group.html
We are giving away 3 of these books, along with a grand prize of McKenzie binoculars, courtesy of Leupold. Check out our giveaway here.
Publisher/Editor Barbara Baird is a freelance writer in hunting, shooting and outdoor markets. Her bylines are found at several top hunting and shooting publications. She also is a travel writer, and you can follow her at https://www.ozarkian.com. View all posts by Barbara Baird
