| Book Review | The Journal of American History, 91.1

You have not been recognized as a subscriber to JAH online. About 221 words from this article are provided below; about 399 words remain.

If you are a individual member of the Organization of American Historians, you may:: • login here if you have already registered for online access.; • Or if you're already logged in register your subscription.
• Set up your online account for the first time.
If you are not a member of the Organization of American Historians, you can:: • Join the OAH and receive many member benefits including print and electronic issues of the Journal of American History.
• Purchase a research pass to gain two-hour access to the entire History Cooperative web site. You will have full access to current issues of the Journal of American History (86.1-present). Note: the Research Pass does not provide access to JSTOR's holdings of the Journal of American History.
Instititutions can:: • Subscribe to this journal and receive print and electronic issues.
• Activate your existing subscription so that we recognize your IP number ranges.

| Book Review | The Journal of American History, 91.1 | The History Cooperative

Book Review

Old Virginia: The Pursuit of a Pastoral Ideal. By William M. S. Rasmussen and Robert S. Tilton. (Charlottesville: Howell, 2003. 252 pp. Cloth, $60.00, ISBN 1-57427-139-3. Paper, $40.00, ISBN 1-57427-140-7.)

Beginning with Capt. John Smith's use of "Ould Virginia" in 1624, William M. S. Rasmussen and Robert S. Tilton trace the evolution of the image of the Old Dominion through the mid-twentieth century. In its various incarnations, "Old Virginia" was a malleable concept that could advance, at different times, contradictory aims. For colonial-era planters, it reflected their aspiration for gentility and their contentment after their vulgar scramble for wealth. For antebellum whites, it was a defense against attacks both on the institution of slavery and on their diminishing wealth and power in the burgeoning republic. For postbellum Virginia elites, the pastoral ideal took the form of the colonial revival, which offered timeless virtues and aesthetics for those traumatized by modernity. In its broad outlines, Rasmussen and Tilton's argument is familiar. But what distinguishes this book is the meshing of this argument with a treasure trove of beautifully reproduced images of Virginia. Some of the images are familiar, but many more are not. Moreover, the overarching theme of the book, the pastoral ideal of "Old Virginia," is a rich one that fully deserves the attention it receives here.

. . .

There are about 399 more words in this article. Please log in (or, if you are not yet an authorized user, please go to the User Setup page) to gain full access rights. Or if you're already logged in register your subscription.