This photographic essay examines the two aspects the Ozark region is famous for: its sublime natural beauty and its conservative folk culture. Leland Payton finds something of value in each. There are mist-filled photographs of scenic valleys and pictures of the spring-fed rivers' scaly inhabitants. The people of the region are lovingly portrayed, but not idealized. Payton interweaves personal experience, extensive knowledge of local history, readings in frontier travel journals and natural history to create a fresh and original look at one of America's fabled regions.

The Beautiful and Enduring Ozarks

Arts & Photography

Payton, Leland

Photography & Video

Lens & Pen Pr

Ozark tourism is booming. It's safe. It's affordable. It's within a day's drive for 50 percent of the population. And last year more than 8 million visited Branson. What brings people to the region and has kept them coming back for more than a century? Is the appeal of this fabled region the same today as it was in bygone days? Leland and Crystal Payton have searched for the essential image of this celebrated touristic magnet in yesterday's promotions, postcards, photographs, maps, and souvenirs. 
More than 300 photographs of rare memorabilia, nostalgic family snapshots, travel brochures and souvenirs evoke the color and character of vacations past in this handsome new book. See The Ozarks: The Touristic Image is the first book to capture the Ozarks' distinctive vacation culture. The lively tale of how each attraction developed provides priceless insights for today's savvy traveler.

See the Ozarks: The Touristic Image

Leland Payton

Crystal Payton

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