For nearly 140 years, the Catskill Mountain House—an imposing Greek revival–style resort—dominated a ridge in upstate New York with breathtaking views. In this documentary, viewers witness how this and similarly grandiose hotels in the area of Kaaterskill Falls helped shape the region's cultural history. Filmmaker Tobe Carey incorporates vintage photos, engravings, paintings, and running commentary from assorted historians to depict an era when well-heeled visitors—inspired by the back-to-nature philosophies of writers such as James Fenimore Cooper, along with artists of the Hudson River School, such as Thomas Cole—engaged in “romantic tourism,” soaking up the area's natural beauty while being tended to by retinues of servants. Completed in 1824, the Catskill Mountain House, dubbed the “Yankee Palace,” boasted ballrooms and expansive lawns (but neither electricity nor indoor plumbing) for the early vacationers who came by trains and riverboats, carriages and coaches, from crowded New York City (the property continued to welcome arrivals into the 1940s, although it was eventually bought by the state of New York and burned down in 1963, returning the spot to protected-woodland status). DVD extras include full-length performances of 19th-century music selections. Offering a fascinating historical account of those fabled summers in the Catskills, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Gardner)
The Catskill Mountain House and the World Around
(2010) 80 min. DVD: $19.95: individuals; $59.95: institutions. Willow Mixed Media. PPR. Volume 26, Issue 2
The Catskill Mountain House and the World Around
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