The University of Arizona Press
Date: Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Time: 6 p.m., MST
Where: Tumamoc Hill Boathouse (bottom of the hill), 1675 W Anklam Rd, Tucson
William L. Bird Jr., author of In the Arms of Saguaros, will be in conversation with Bruce Dinges, former editor of the Journal of Arizona History in a presentation “Saguaros: Real and Imaginary.” Scientists have studied saguaros on Tumamoc Hill since 1908! But even before then, in the late 1800s, the saguaro became a symbol of the west. You’ll look at Tumamoc’s long-studied saguaros in a whole new way after seeing William L. Bird’s images of saguaros, from early illustrations to modern photographs. The railroad first used saguaros to market new destinations in the American West, then all kinds of tourist destinations used saguaro iconography to attract customers to everything from health resorts to dude ranches to shopping centers. Today, the saguaro touches us as a global icon in art, fashion, and entertainment.
This talk will be held at the historic boathouse, at the base of Tumamoc Hill. The event is presented by Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill, The University of Arizona Press, and The Southwest Center and is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase, and the author will be available for signing following the talk. Reserve your spot here.
William L. Bird Jr. is a curator emeritus of the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. His interests lie at the intersection of politics, popular culture, and the history of visual display.
About the book:
Through text and lavish images, this work explores the saguaro’s growth into a western icon from the early days of the American railroad to the years bracketing World War II, when Sun Belt boosterism hit its zenith and proponents of tourism succeed in moving the saguaro to the center of the promotional frame. This book explores how the growth of tourism brought the saguaro to ever-larger audiences through the proliferation of western-themed imagery on the American roadside.
