1921 Souvenir View Book - Dells of the Wisconsin River - Die-Cut Wraps
Published by the legendary H.H. Bennett Studio in Kilbourn (now Wisconsin Dells), this 1921 souvenir booklet captures the 'wild beauty' of the river formations through colorized photographs. It represents the height of early 20th-century tourism in the Midwest, featuring the studio's signature photography.
Key Features:
+++ Visuals: Features full-page color illustrations (colorized photographs) of iconic landmarks like Swallows' Nests, The Foot of the Narrows, High Rock, and the Steamer "Apollo." Each image is framed by a decorative border featuring Native American motifs (teepees and arrowheads).
+++ Format: Distinctive stiff paper wraps with an oval die-cut aperture (window) on the front cover, revealing the image on the first page.
+++ Content: Descriptive text is printed on the verso pages, facing the illustrations, providing historical and geological context for the Dells.
Physical Specs:
+++ Date: 1921
+++ Dimensions: Oblong, 8 x 5 inches; 42 unnumbered pages.
+++ Format: Stapled pictorial wraps with die-cut window.
Condition: Near Fine -- An exceptional copy. No flaws or blemishes to note. The binding is tight, the die-cut is crisp with no tears, and the pages show only gentle, even age-toning.
Henry Hamilton Bennett (1843–1908) is considered one of the most important landscape photographers of the 19th century. His stunning images of the Wisconsin River rock formations single-handedly turned the small timber town of Kilbourn City into a major tourist destination.
This booklet, published by his studio a decade after his death, captures the town before it changed its name to "Wisconsin Dells" in 1931. It documents the "Golden Age" of Dells tourism, focused on steamboat tours and natural wonder rather than modern waterparks.
Keywords: H.H. Bennett, Wisconsin Dells, Kilbourn City, Souvenir View Book, River Landscape, Steamer Apollo, Stand Rock, 1920s Tourism, Americana, Die-Cut Ephemera.
Item #21471
Price: $45.00
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