H.H. Bennett, Photographer: His American Landscape is an engaging biography of the celebrated photographer in the half-century following the American Civil War. Admired for his superb depictions of dramatic landscapes of the Dells of the Wisconsin River, his many technical innovations in photography, and his striking images of moving subjects, Henry Hamilton Bennett's life story is illustrated throughout with his remarkable photographs, some of them rarely viewed before. This excellent biography draws on the photographer’s own letters and journals, along with other family documents, to portray the sweep of his career and personal life. An important figure in the history of photography, he also contributed to the growth of American tourism: his nationally distributed stereoscopic views of Dells rock formations and his portraits of local Ho-Chunk Indians played a significant role in creating the Wisconsin Dells as the popular tourist destination it is today. Despite personal challenges—a crippling Civil War injury, the death of his first wife, and continual financial worries—Bennett produced an extensive portfolio that captures the Midwestern culture of his time. He accepted commissions in the 1890s to document Chicago’s modern skyscrapers, grand residences of Milwaukee’s entrepreneurs and sailing ships in its harbor, enormous scenic panoramas along the routes of Wisconsin railroads, and sparkling ice palaces lit by fireworks at the St. Paul Winter Carnival. Published by University of Wisconsin Press. Paperback, 286 pages, 9.8 x 8 x 0.6 in.
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