Return to Bibliography

Wilson, Chris. The Myth of Santa Fe: Creating a Modern Regional Tradition. Albuquerque : University of New Mexico Press, 1997.

Wilson argues that Santa Fe is a prime “example of the invention of tradition and the on-going interaction of ethnic identity with tourist image making” [7].  Following a brief pre-colonial and Spanish colonial history of the New Mexico area, Wilson describes the emerging town of Santa Fe, including its racial-ethnic consciousness.  He traces how New Mexico’s desire for statehood (from 1848 until ratification in 1912) resulted in the emergence of two contradictory public images of Santa Fe: the progressive, typical American city of thriving business and a romanticized, ancient adobe village – a mecca for tourists.  In fact, “once statehood was achieved...the romantic image of the city became the central vehicle for economic resurgence and the blueprint for its physical transformation” [95]. This romantic image was promoted by the museum world (e.g. the Museum of New Mexico), the artistic profession, as well as political entities.  He then describes the historic preservation movement in Santa Fe, as a movement intent upon removing all signs of Americanization and restoring many buildings, such as the Acoma Mission.  Wilson concludes with a discussion of the effects of the movement, the establishment of a design-review ordinance and the mandates of architectural regionalism.   Intermixed, too, Wilson includes several poignant and photographic essays, depicting modern-day challenges to the romanticized Santa Fe through architecture, art, and the coyote. [J. Hembree]