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Return to Taos: Eric Sloane's Sketchbook of Roadside Americana
In an extraordinary book that is also a rare autobiographical work, Eric Sloane shares his travel experiences during two trips he made from New York to his beloved Taos — in 1925 and again in 1960. The first time around, as a young man, he worked his way across America in a rickety Model T Ford, painting signs on bridges and barns to pay expenses. The story of that journey is recounted here by the revered "cracker-barrel philosopher" as he weaves his reminiscences in with an account of his journey to the New Mexican town 35 years later.
Sloane offers his wry, heartfelt, and incisive reflections on America's rapidly changing landscapes and regional cultures, noting in both his charming commentary and his delightful pen-and-ink illustrations the roadside monuments he passed along the covered bridges in New Jersey, a "barn bridge" in Pennsylvania, early gas stations and grain elevators in the Midwest, panoramic views of the western landscape, and ultimately, views of Taos Pueblo, happily unchanged after more than a quarter of a century since the author's last visit.
An immensely entertaining book, Return to Taos will delight anyone who enjoys reading about America's past and sees its artifacts as part of a vast repository of national treasures.
Sloane offers his wry, heartfelt, and incisive reflections on America's rapidly changing landscapes and regional cultures, noting in both his charming commentary and his delightful pen-and-ink illustrations the roadside monuments he passed along the covered bridges in New Jersey, a "barn bridge" in Pennsylvania, early gas stations and grain elevators in the Midwest, panoramic views of the western landscape, and ultimately, views of Taos Pueblo, happily unchanged after more than a quarter of a century since the author's last visit.
An immensely entertaining book, Return to Taos will delight anyone who enjoys reading about America's past and sees its artifacts as part of a vast repository of national treasures.
132 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1969
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About the author
Eric Sloane
100 books58 followersEric Sloane (born Everard Jean Hinrichs) was an American landscape painter and author of illustrated works of cultural history and folklore. He is considered a member of the Hudson River School of painting.
Eric Sloane was born in New York City. As a child, he was a neighbor of noted sign painter and type designer Frederick W. Goudy. Sloane studied art and lettering with Goudy. While he attended the Art Students League of New York City, he changed his name because George Luks and John French Sloan suggested that young students should paint under an assumed name so that early inferior works would not be attached to them. He took the name Eric from the middle letters of America and Sloane from his mentor's name.
In the summer of 1925, Sloane ran away from home, working his way across the country as a sign painter, creating advertisements for everything from Red Man Tobacco to Bull Durham. Unique hand calligraphy and lettering became a characteristic of his illustrated books.
Sloane eventually returned to New York and settled in Connecticut, where he began painting rustic landscapes in the tradition of the Hudson River School. In the 1950s, he began spending part of the year in Taos, New Mexico, where he painted western landscapes and particularly luminous depictions of the desert sky. In his career as a painter, he produced over 15,000 works. His fascination with the sky and weather led to commissions to paint works for the U.S. Air Force and the production of a number of illustrated works on meteorology and weather forecasting. Sloane is even credited with creating the first televised weather reporting network, by arranging for local farmers to call in reports to a New England broadcasting station.
Sloane also had a great interest in New England folk culture, Colonial daily life, and Americana. He wrote and illustrated scores of Colonial era books on tools, architecture, farming techniques, folklore, and rural wisdom. Every book included detailed illustrations, hand lettered titles, and his characteristic folksy wit and observations. He developed an impressive collection of historic tools which became the nucleus of the collection in the Sloane-Stanley Tool Museum in Kent, Connecticut.
Sloane died in New York in 1985, while walking down the street to a luncheon held in his honor.
Sloane's best known books are A Reverence for Wood, which examines the history and tools of woodworking, as well as the philosophy of the woodworker; The Cracker Barrel, which is a compendium of folk wit and wisdom; and Diary of an Early American Boy: Noah Blake-1805, based on a diary he discovered at a local library book sale. His most famous painted work is probably the skyscape mural, Earth Flight Environment, which is still on display in the Independence Avenue Lobby in the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum.
Eric Sloane was born in New York City. As a child, he was a neighbor of noted sign painter and type designer Frederick W. Goudy. Sloane studied art and lettering with Goudy. While he attended the Art Students League of New York City, he changed his name because George Luks and John French Sloan suggested that young students should paint under an assumed name so that early inferior works would not be attached to them. He took the name Eric from the middle letters of America and Sloane from his mentor's name.
In the summer of 1925, Sloane ran away from home, working his way across the country as a sign painter, creating advertisements for everything from Red Man Tobacco to Bull Durham. Unique hand calligraphy and lettering became a characteristic of his illustrated books.
Sloane eventually returned to New York and settled in Connecticut, where he began painting rustic landscapes in the tradition of the Hudson River School. In the 1950s, he began spending part of the year in Taos, New Mexico, where he painted western landscapes and particularly luminous depictions of the desert sky. In his career as a painter, he produced over 15,000 works. His fascination with the sky and weather led to commissions to paint works for the U.S. Air Force and the production of a number of illustrated works on meteorology and weather forecasting. Sloane is even credited with creating the first televised weather reporting network, by arranging for local farmers to call in reports to a New England broadcasting station.
Sloane also had a great interest in New England folk culture, Colonial daily life, and Americana. He wrote and illustrated scores of Colonial era books on tools, architecture, farming techniques, folklore, and rural wisdom. Every book included detailed illustrations, hand lettered titles, and his characteristic folksy wit and observations. He developed an impressive collection of historic tools which became the nucleus of the collection in the Sloane-Stanley Tool Museum in Kent, Connecticut.
Sloane died in New York in 1985, while walking down the street to a luncheon held in his honor.
Sloane's best known books are A Reverence for Wood, which examines the history and tools of woodworking, as well as the philosophy of the woodworker; The Cracker Barrel, which is a compendium of folk wit and wisdom; and Diary of an Early American Boy: Noah Blake-1805, based on a diary he discovered at a local library book sale. His most famous painted work is probably the skyscape mural, Earth Flight Environment, which is still on display in the Independence Avenue Lobby in the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 12, 2022
I love this book, enjoying Sloane's writing even more than his legendary sketches. In 1960 Sloane and his wife set off to recreate his 1925 road trip from New Jersey to Taos, New Mexico. His memories of the original trip and perspectives are insightful and struck a cord with me. Even 62 years later there are many timely observations.
February 25, 2018
Sloane can surely spin a great yarn. He takes you on a return trip to his 1925 cross-country trip as a sign painter. Of course, his pen and ink drawings accompany the story. One can't help but laugh at the crazy tales that are part of the trip. A short but very interesting and amusing book.
December 17, 2014
Eric Sloane is the rare combination of historian, technician and artist. He can explain the drive from the East Coast to California in a Model T Ford in a way that no one else can...with his own drawings of maps, vehicles, bridges and roadside attractions. This is the man who worked on a National survey of Covered Bridges and Barns across the United States. He is the documentarian of bygone American life and travel. He will not only show you a covered bridge, but describe how it was built. He will also describe the changes in road travel over the span of a generation or so.
This book provides a good introduction to Mr. Sloane's work...and if you like it there are several other titles for your enjoyment.
This book provides a good introduction to Mr. Sloane's work...and if you like it there are several other titles for your enjoyment.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews