Manufacturing National Park Nature: Photography, Ecology, and the Wilderness Industry of Jasper (Nature | History | Society)

Jasper National Park is an international travel destination, world heritage site, and icon of Canadian identity. Although national parks occupy a prominent place in the Canadian imagination, we are only beginning to understand how their visual imagery has shaped and continues to inform our perception of the natural world, ecological issues, and ourselves. In Manufacturing National Park Nature, J. Keri Cronin draws on visual images such as postcards and tourist snapshots to show that popular forms of picturing nature can have ecological implications that extend far beyond the frame of the image. Adopting an ecocritical approach to visual culture, she reveals that packaging Jasper as a series of breathtaking vistas and adorable-looking animals masks the real threats to the park's ecosystems. In telling the story of how various groups have used photography to shape our ideas about nature, this book sets the stage for a re-examination of protection policies and acknowledgment of environmental damage in national parks. 1 Grounding National Park Nature -- 2 Jasper Wonderful By Nature: The Wilderness Industry Of Jasper National Park -- 3 An Invitation To Leisure: Picturing Canada's Wilderness Playground -- 4 The Bears Are Plentiful And Frequently Good Camera Subjects: Photographing Wildlife In Jasper National Park -- 5 Fake Nature J. Keri Cronin ; Foreword By Graeme Wynn. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 179-196) And Index. Focusing on Jasper National Park, this richly illustrated book shows how photography has shaped and continues to inform perceptions of nature and ecological issues in Canada.