Patapsco : life along Maryland's historic river valley /

"This book is yet another expression of the careful social observations Walker Evans and James Agee offered in Let Us Now Praise Famous Men . Patapsco Valley, Maryland, thereby has joined the lucky company of Hale County, Alabama--both places that become, in the hands of an alert photographer and an attentive writer, something quite else: social texts that keep helping us find ourselves.... A valley's portrait becomes an aspect of a nation's ongoing story.... To Alison Kahn and Peggy Fox, then, for giving us Patapsco, we owe gratitude for a splendid, observing effort exceedingly well done, but also for the compelling summons they tender us; through meeting these Marylanders, we get a boost toward ourselves--our similar journey through time and space in America." -From the introduction, by Robert Coles

The love of place shines through in this documentary effort about a historic valley that saw the birth of industry in Maryland, the nation's first railroad, and the nation's first cross-country highway. This compelling portrait of the region is viewed through the memories of its elders from all walks of life. Through their collective memory, we gain a true sense of the cultural legacy of Maryland's historic Patapsco RiverValley.