Shadows on the Mesa

Book excerpt: From 1909 until the late 1920s, the Wetherill-Colville Guest Ranch in Kayenta, Arizona, was the primary stopover for writers, geologists, archeologists, adventurers, and tourists visiting Monument Valley and the Tsegi Canyon ruins. The artists who visited Kayenta during the early twentieth century included some of the most well known names in the American Southwest. See their paintings, illustrations, and photos of this beloved Southwest region. In addition, you will find full page guest registry entries illustrated by artists such as Maynard Dixon, William Robinson Leigh, James Swinnerton, Carl Oscar Borg, and Gunnar Widforss. The guest book serves as the archival record of those hardy individuals who ventured to the place that was, according to Dixon, "a long ways from anywhere, in any direction." Using over 390 enthralling illustrations and engaging text, this book explores the similarities and differences in the lives, artistic styles, and beliefs of the men and women who considered northern Arizona their favorite region.