Looking Glass Rock - Hardcover

by Peter L. Schmunk (Author)

Beginning
as a project to photograph a wild place through the seasons, this book developed
over time into a deep study of both the natural and human history of an
outstanding feature of North Carolina's Pisgah National Forest. Looking Glass
Rock is a pluton, a massive mound of granite defined by towering cliffs that
attract elite climbers as well as casual hikers and sightseers. An extensive
photographic archive forms the core of the book, supplemented by historic images
and maps. An accompanying essay explores the abundant botany and unique geology
of Looking Glass Rock, as well as the various peoples--Cherokee Indians, hardscrabble
Scots-Irish farmers, vastly wealthy Biltmore estate owners, loggers, moonshiners,
and Civilian Conservation Corpsmen--who once occupied the area and left traces
of their former presence. This book offers a model for an exploration of a particular
Appalachian landscape with a fulsome appreciation for both its wild beauty and its
compelling human story.

Author Biography

Peter L. Schmunk is professor emeritus at Wofford College in Spartanburg,
South Carolina, where he taught art and cultural history for 35 years. Since 2005 he has also developed an active
studio practice in photography with frequent participation in juried shows and
ten single-artist exhibitions. An avid hiker, backpacker,
backroad driver, and international traveller, he is constantly engaged by the
challenge of interpreting visual experience in creative ways. These many interests found fulfillment in a
decade of visits to Looking Glass Rock in the Pisgah National Forest of North
Carolina, where he encountered the extraordinary beauty of a wild landscape, photographed
its natural phenomena in all seasons, and researched its rich human history.