Davenport: A Pictorial History by Marlys SvendsenMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a large, coffee-table book containing many black and white historic photos of Davenport, Iowa. The photos are arranged into four chronological sections, and roughly by theme within each section. The photos were chosen to illustrate the buildings, the events, and the people of the city, and are described with a paragraph or two explaining the subject. I was raised in a city near Davenport decades ago, and I found the historic photos showed a vibrant, bustling city with tall buildings and a variety of attributes. When I visited there decades ago, the downtown never seemed quite as bustling, so I found this aspect of the history, the building of the central city, was eye opening. Photos cover up until the 80s and the flight of retailers to the mall. Reading a book like this, especially after having experienced the ebb and flow changes in the fortunes of different parts of a city really provide a perspective. And sometimes things don't change, as photos of historic floods illustrate. Best for those familiar with Davenport, obviously.
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