From the earliest days of European settlement, Americans have cherished the sight of a windmill--an instantly recognizable feature of the American landscape. Boasting nearly two hundred striking images, this book is the first devoted to photographs illustrating historic wind machines throughout North America.

T. Lindsay Baker, an expert historian on windmills, has written about wind-power history for twenty-five years. His album contains historic images captured by professional windmiller B. H. "Tex" Burdick and from corporate archives of windmill manufacturers. It depicts windmills in a wide range of settings and uses--not only on ranches and farms but also alongside railroads, in industry, and even in urban areas.

The photos chosen for this book illustrate windmill manufacture, distribution, and use in all regions of the United States, with an emphasis on the Great Plains. They take us into the factories to show how commercial windmills were mass-produced and marketed--and also into rural America to show how inventive individuals designed their own homemade wind machines.

An introduction by photography historian John Carter provides an overview of the importance of windmills in rural life and Americans' compulsion for photographing them.

Author: T. Lindsay Baker
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
Published: 02/10/2012
Pages: 168
Weight: 1.2lbs
Size: 8.80h x 8.80w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9780806142494


Review Citation(s):
Reference and Research Bk News 04/01/2012 pg. 270

About the Author
Baker, T. Lindsay: -

T. Lindsay Baker, who holds the W. K. Gordon Chair in Industrial History at Tarleton State University, Stephenville, Texas, is Director of the W. K. Gordon Center for Industrial History, Thurber, Texas, and editor of the Windmiller's Gazette. He is the author of A Field Guide to American Windmills and North American Windmill Manufacturers' Trade Literature: A Descriptive Guide.

Carter, John: - John Carter is Senior Research Associate at the Nebraska State Historical Society and an award-winning photograph curator.