OUR STORY

Scott Varn, founder and Executive Director of Preserving A Picturesque America (PAPA), is an artist and longtime conservationist. Some years ago, while searching for prints depicting his home area of Western North Carolina, he found some classic engravings of the French Broad River at an online estate auction and ordered them. When they arrived, Scott was enamored with the scenes depicting landmarks along the river from nearly one hundred fifty years ago. However, disappointment ensued when he saw text on the reverse side, realizing they were removed from a book. Still the images were intriguing and the words on the back sparked a curiosity to learn more.

The words and images came from a publication titled Picturesque America. The writers spoke of their concern for lands that “but a few years ago were known only to the explorer or the local inhabitant” and expressed apprehension for how long these lands would remain unspoiled by human impact. Over one hundred fifty years ago, the artists and writers of Picturesque America implied progress without responsibility could destroy places unique to our country.

Researching further, it was discovered that Picturesque America was a serial released in forty eight parts and eventually bound into two large volumes. The serials also included over nine hundred engravings of natural and historic landscapes. Created by Appleton Press, this publication combined celebrated writers and artists of the time who created “travel log” style tales describing wondrous places across America. Their work raised public awareness of our country’s bountiful beauty and has played an important role in the protection of natural lands and historic places. The published dates were from 1872 until 1874.

Although many places depicted in Picturesque America are well-known today, they were mostly unknown to the general public in the late 1800s. Tourism was rare and something only afforded by the wealthy. The expansion of railroads provided access to new places; however, the country was still recovering from the aftermath of the Civil War. Few ventured past their county borders and rarely outside their state. This publication gave many people the opportunity to explore this land without leaving their homes.

Soon after learning the history of Picturesque America, Scott traveled to California on a business trip, and was near a location featured in one of the serials – the Yosemite Valley. While there, he spent several days exploring Yosemite National Park and wondered – would it be possible to locate the artist’s vantage points when creating artwork of the Yosemite Valley? How amazing it would be to stand in the same spot as the artist who was here so long ago.

Using a copy of Picturesque America as his guide, reading their account and studying the engravings with a careful eye, Scott embraced the challenge to find the same sites they visited so long ago. Some were found quickly, for they were dramatic and well-known geological features. However, finding the exact vantage point of the artist was where the adventure really began.

Finding the first location was breathtaking, experiencing a connection to the past while immersed in the beauty of his surroundings. A celebratory photo recorded the exhilarating moment. Scott pulled out his sketchbook and drew with the same awe as the original artist. At this moment Scott realized this could be much more than simply an adventure or artistic discovery. To follow in the footsteps and brushstrokes of the original writers and artists, to rediscover the same places and document their current state of existence, to bring awareness to others that places important to people from the past should be protected and preserved for those in the future – this was a calling that changed the course of Scott’s life.

From this revelation, the non-profit organization Preserving A Picturesque America (PAPA) was created. PAPA collaborates with artists, writers, historians, other like-minded individuals, and environmental organizations to use the power of the arts to protect and preserve natural and historic landmarks across the country. To be good stewards of this land, one must have a better perspective of what can be gained by preserving these beautiful places. PAPA strives to shift public perspective towards the importance of the natural landscape through art experiences and opportunities to reconnect with nature, and use those opportunities to raise funding that will facilitate the protection and preservation of Picturesque America sites across the country.