When you’re living inside of a city, it can feel like living in a bubble and it’s easy to forget how much natural beauty there is in this country. Inspired by the Great Depression-era guidebook series of the same name,
The American Guide intends to provide its readers a daily reminder.
Between 1936-1941, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) employed thousands of writers, photographers, and artists to produce the original field-guide series as a way to boost American tourism and, in turn, a struggling economy. Prior to WWII, comprehensive guides were published for each of the 48 states (Alaska and Hawaii weren’t annexed until 1959), 26 cities, and 14 regions and territories.
In the spirit of its predecessor, this current incarnation delivers a heavy dose of Americana from all cardinal directions. We are shown a small town in Rhode Island where
shipbuilders have been making vessels since before the American Revolution. We get a glimpse inside the
workspace of Paul N. Ouellette & Sons Pianos – a Salem, Massachusetts based piano repair business that has been opened since 1946. Lastly, we see some
bull riding in our home state of Virginia.
The American Guide gives us all the opportunity to hit the open road without having to leave our desks. Check it out
here.
