." ▁ ▁This ▁two - volume ▁set ▁and ▁others ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁genre , ▁achieved ▁great ▁popular ity ▁in ▁the ▁nin ete enth ▁century . ▁Their ▁illustr ations ▁provided ▁a ▁tour ▁of ▁nin ete enth ▁century ▁America , ▁un sp o ilt ▁and ▁past oral , ▁its ▁cent res ▁of ▁commerce , ▁ports , ▁architecture ▁and ▁natural ▁tre asures . ▁In ▁a ▁modern ▁( 2 0 0 1 ) ▁treatment ▁of ▁the ▁work , ▁Sue ▁Ra ine y , ▁who ▁is ▁a ▁historian ▁of ▁American ▁graph ic ▁arts ▁and ▁has ▁a ▁particular ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁artists ▁who ▁drew ▁land sc apes ▁and ▁city sc apes ▁for ▁period ical ▁and ▁book ▁illustr ations , ▁ ▁wrote ▁" As ▁the ▁first ▁publication ▁to ▁celebr ate ▁the ▁entire ▁contin ental ▁nation , ▁it ▁enabled ▁Americans , ▁after ▁the ▁tra uma ▁of ▁the ▁Civil ▁War , ▁to ▁construct ▁a ▁national ▁self - image ▁based ▁on ▁recon c ili ation ▁between ▁North ▁and ▁South ▁and ▁incorpor ation ▁of ▁the ▁West ." ▁( p . ▁x iii ) ▁The ▁volumes ▁display ▁both ▁steel ▁and ▁wood ▁eng rav ings ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁paint ings ▁of ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁American ▁landscape ▁pain ters ▁of ▁the ▁nin ete enth ▁century , ▁primarily ▁Harry ▁F enn ▁and ▁his ▁friend ▁Douglas ▁Wood ward , ▁but ▁also ▁including ▁John ▁Frederick ▁K ens ett , ▁William ▁Stanley ▁Has elt ine , ▁James ▁David ▁Sm ill ie , ▁John ▁William ▁Cas ile ar , ▁Thomas ▁Mor an , ▁A . ▁C . ▁Warren , ▁David ▁Johnson