Yellowstone! 22 x 28" Original Painting
Currently on display and available for purchasing at Raised by Wolves Studios in Downtown Livingston. 131 N Main St, Livingston MT.
https://www.raisedbywolvesstudios.com/
@raisedbywolvesstudios
Original 22 x 28" painting. Acrylic on canvas.
Free pick up or delivery for South Central Montana residents (or transients). Enter the discount code LOCAL at checkout.
Yellowstone National Park’s disastrous opening inspired innumerable enterprises to compensate for the public’s dismal impression of the park in the late 19th century. The nation’s rural heritage gave American’s little incentive to make the extreme journey and witness what was heavy-handedly referred to as a “wonder-land.”
Preceding the 2nd industrial revolution, North America was absolutely inundated with savage predators, unpredictable geothermal phenomenon and extreme elements, and the escapism commonly associated with Yellowstone was lost on weary Americans. “My existence is perilous as it is,” reported a woman from Ohio, “I travel for relaxation and enjoyment, not to return a bundle of nerves afraid of every shadow in the dark. No thank you!”
Around this time, Charles Reade’s medieval epic ‘The Cloister and the Hearth’ was gaining popularity in the U.S., prompting architect Robert C. Reamer to suggest constructing an enormous castle in Gardiner MT to draw visitors to the park’s northern entrance.
The idea was met with enthusiasm and construction would coincide with that of the Old Faithful Inn, which Reamer also designed. The distance and rough terrain between the Castle site and the Old Faithful Inn caused chaos and confusion, which many now attribute to the fact that no one noticed Robert C. Reamer the Old Faithful Inn architect was obviously not the same man claiming to be Robert C. Reamer and constructing a giant castle in Gardiner.
Reamer the imposter completed the castle’s barbican before Roosevelt’s 1903 visit uncovered his ruse. Roosevelt knew the real Reamer and immediately recognized a poor impersonation. “This man has made a buffoon out of the Park Protection Act!” Roosevelt proclaimed.
To save face before a critical populace, the completed barbican was simply presented as an arch leading into the park and marketed to imply that was the original intent of the structure.
