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Yale University Press
May 2013
On Sale: May 2, 2013
236 pages
ISBN: 0300169493
EAN: 9780300169492
Kindle: B00CL63KPS
Hardcover / e-Book
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Non-Fiction
Rising to a triumphant height of 630 feet, the Gateway Arch
in St. Louis is a revered monument to America’s western
expansion. Envisioned in 1947 but not completed until the
mid-1960s, the arch today attracts millions of tourists
annually and is one of the world’s most widely recognized
structures. By weaving together social, political, and
cultural history, historian Tracy Campbell uncovers the
complicated and troubling history of the beloved structure.
This compelling book explores how a medley of players
with widely divergent motivations (civic pride,
ambition, greed, among others) brought the Gateway Arch
to fruition, but at a price the city continues to
pay.
Campbell dispels long-held myths and casts
a provocative new light on the true origins and meaning of
the Gateway Arch. He shows that the monument was the scheme
of shrewd city leaders who sought to renew downtown St.
Louis and were willing to steal an election, destroy
historic buildings, and drive out local people and
businesses to achieve their goal. Campbell also tells the
human story of the architect Eero Saarinen, whose
prize-winning design brought him acclaim but also charges of
plagiarism, and who never lived to see the completion of his
vision. As a national symbol, the Gateway Arch has a
singular place in American culture, Campbell concludes, yet
it also stands as an instructive example of failed urban
planning.
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