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Michael Lesy
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Wisconsin Death Trip Paperback – January 1, 2000

by Michael Lesy (Author), Charles Van Schaik (Photographer), Warren Susman (Preface)
4.4 out of 5 stars 338 ratings
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First published in 1973, this remarkable book about life in a small turn-of-the-century Wisconsin town has become a cult classic. Lesy has collected and arranged photographs taken between 1890 and 1910 by a Black River Falls photographer, Charles Van Schaik.

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  1. Print length
    148 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    University of New Mexico Press
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 2000
  5. Dimensions
    11.25 x 0.5 x 8.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0826321933
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0826321930
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The last decade of the 19th century was, for some Americans, a time when great fortunes were to be made. For many others, however, the period was a time of economic dislocation, when the gap between city and countryside, rich and poor, grew ever wider. As the Indian Wars ended and the Gilded Age extended into America's first Imperial Age, social critics such as Mark Twain and William Dean Howells began to examine the dark side of the American dream: violence, poverty, degenerate behavior, suicide, and insanity.

In the late 1960s, another desperate time, historian Michael Lesy took a long look at fin-de-siècle America. Examining a collection of several thousand glass plate negatives and historical documents from Jackson County, Wisconsin, he concocted a sprawling treatise on a past that had been willfully forgotten, a brooding rejoinder to Edgar Lee Masters's Spoon River Anthology. First published in 1973, Lesy's Wisconsin Death Trip, now reissued in a handsome paperbound edition, became a key text of the counterculture, a book to shelve alongside Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee and Custer Died for Your Sins--and it sometimes reads like a hip product of its time. Lesy documents the unsettling record of one small corner of rural America, turning up accounts of barn burnings, attacks by gangs of armed tramps, threatening and obscene letters, death by diphtheria and smallpox (the Wisconsin townsfolk had, some years, to attend several funerals a week), alcoholism, madness, business and bank failures, and even a case or two of witchcraft.

After reading Lesy's texts and viewing the sometimes unsettling images he's turned up, you would be forgiven for thinking that no one in small-town Wisconsin in our great-great-grandparents' time was well-adjusted--which is, of course, not the case. Hyperbole notwithstanding, this is a remarkable study, one that Lesy himself rightly calls an experiment in both history and alchemy. --Gregory McNamee

From Library Journal

As the title suggests, this is a truly strange book. Published in 1973, it is essentially a collection of photos taken in Black River Falls, WI, by Charles Van Schaik between 1890 and 1910. The subject matter ranges from children in coffins, to farm animals, to family portraits of some of the grimmest-looking people imaginable; the photos are accompanied by snippets from newspapers. The whole package seems to confirm that the good old days were actually awful.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of New Mexico Press; Reprint edition (January 1, 2000)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 148 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0826321933
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0826321930
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.95 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 11.25 x 0.5 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 338 ratings

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Michael Lesy

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
338 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book interesting, with one review noting how the snippets from old newspapers and mental institution excerpts create a haunting experience. The photographs are well-received, with one customer highlighting how they reflect Northern ancestry, and customers appreciate the book's educational value and concept. The visual presentation receives positive feedback, with one customer describing it as beautifully written.

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34 customers mention "Story quality"29 positive5 negative

Customers appreciate the book's stories, which include snippets from old newspapers and historical accounts of life and death, with one customer noting how the photographs and narratives stayed with them for years.

"...The pictures were fascinating. It’s a somber book, but educational, with little bursts of humor to lighten up the feelings...." Read more

"...Wisconsin Death Trip provides great insight as to back in the day when lack of knowledge or understanding persons with symptoms of a diseased..." Read more

"...This remarkable collection of photographs --- many depicting funerals and similarly mournful scenes --- and the accompanying anthology of ephemeral..." Read more

"...There were intersting excerpts from the mental institution as well...." Read more

30 customers mention "Interest"30 positive0 negative

Customers find the book interesting, describing it as wonderful and strange, with one customer noting it has lots of odd stories.

"...Wisconsin Death Trip would provide great entertainment and some insight as well..Thank you Amazon!" Read more

"...I'm currently reading it and finding it interesting. It has been reported to have been part of the inspiration for Neil Gaiman's book, American Gods...." Read more

"...It’s well laid out and so interesting. To me it was well worth it." Read more

"...It is fascinating, if a little tedious, being obituaries and short news items from the archives of a small town Wisconsin newspaper of the late..." Read more

10 customers mention "Photography"10 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the photographs in the book, describing them as a wonderful testament, with one customer noting they are true to Northern ancestries.

"I love learning about history. The pictures were fascinating...." Read more

"...appears to be no interpretation - it is just news articles, primary sources and pictures...." Read more

"...but as I read the book, I realized that the photographs were artistic accompaniments to the text...." Read more

"...The photos throughout the book are amazingly interesting...." Read more

7 customers mention "Visual quality"7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the visual presentation of the book, with one describing it as beautifully written and well laid out.

"...that kept us free on their broad shoulders, and women were demure, graceful, with chaste and untroubled souls...." Read more

"...It’s well laid out and so interesting. To me it was well worth it." Read more

"The large photographs in this book are clear, haunting and artistically interesting...." Read more

"...unusual custom of photographing dead in their caskets, it is both a visual and a narrative recounting of that time." Read more

3 customers mention "Educational value"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book educational, with one mentioning it's a great addition to their personal library.

"...The pictures were fascinating. It’s a somber book, but educational, with little bursts of humor to lighten up the feelings...." Read more

"Great concept. Every few years I find myself back scanning this book again...." Read more

"A great addition to your personal library if you into oddity/paranormal type stuff." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Tina k. Harty
    5.0 out of 5 stars Such an interesting book.
    Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I love learning about history. The pictures were fascinating. It’s a somber book, but educational, with little bursts of humor to lighten up the feelings. Grateful I didn’t live back then.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Judith Haataja
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wisconsin Death Trip provides great insight as to back in the day when lack ...
    Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I read the book years ago and loaned it to out and it was never returned and when I saw it on Amazon I was very excited and ordered it immediately. Wisconsin Death Trip provides great insight as to back in the day when lack of knowledge or understanding persons with symptoms of a diseased brain and that there may have been an actual physical cause and that maybe it could be treated. It seems it was believed "crazy" persons were possessed by an evil spirit.Crude treatments attempted were evtremely dangerous.Public education programs should include mandatory teaching of at least basic understanding of brain disorders.and chemistry involved. Wisconsin Death Trip would provide great entertainment and some insight as well..Thank you Amazon!
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Jennifer_V
    4.0 out of 5 stars The good old days weren't always good.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Purchased this for my mother-in-law, decided after a quick look against giving it to her. Dark and disturbing history is not her thing and I didn't realize that when I purchased. I'm currently reading it and finding it interesting. It has been reported to have been part of the inspiration for Neil Gaiman's book, American Gods. I understand now why my great, great grandmother was such a serious person. Hard life for the early people here.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • S. Gustafson
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Good Old Days
    Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2002
    Verified Purchase
    Ah, the Good Old Days! that time when the men and women were wrapped like a warm blanket in Christian piety. When boys and girls grew up straight and tall, amid swimming holes and Sunday schools, and read aloud in the public schools from the Protestant Bible. When men bore the guns that kept us free on their broad shoulders, and women were demure, graceful, with chaste and untroubled souls.
    This remarkable collection of photographs --- many depicting funerals and similarly mournful scenes --- and the accompanying anthology of ephemeral journalism will go a long way towards showing that this, like any other lost Eden, never really existed. These people had other virtues, of course: they lived in the presence of death; they cultivated a sort of stoicism in the face of hard lives made harder by the rise of national capitalism.
    It seems that people in rural Wisconsin were heirs to the same failures that all flesh is heir to. People committed adultery back then, and bore children out of wedlock. People went mad back then, and often expressed their madness in violence. There was drunkenness, grinding loneliness, indifference to neighbours, and murder. They coped with problems, too, that we have managed to conquer: most notably, epidemic disease, and wholly inadequte health care. It is good to remember this when this period is portrayed as a golden age of piety and patriotism.
    83 people found this helpful
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  • Holly Flannery
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very Interesting
    Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    My family on my mother's side came from this area so I was very intersted in learning a little about the area and the time. The photos show an excellent portrayal of what times must have been like back then. Although some of the newspaper clippings were from other counties throughout the state, the book did mention that there were as many deaths, suicides, etc. in the ONE county as there were in the entire state. That is what made this so interesting, why this one area had so much trouble compared to the rest of the state. There were intersting excerpts from the mental institution as well. I ordered the book so I could look at the photos and read the articles at my lesiure. I do wonder what the documentaty movie would be like and thought about ordering it.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • T. Klemetson
    5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book
    Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    If you’re into history and/or Wisconsin history and love old photographs check this book out. It’s well laid out and so interesting. To me it was well worth it.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Don Porter
    5.0 out of 5 stars This really takes me back
    Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    In the mid 1970's I purchased a photography studio in Long Beach, California specializing in "Old Time" sepia toned portraits. I used the photos in Wisconsin Death Trip as examples of the time (1890's). They provided info about posing, clothing, style etc. that I studied while I was learning. It also contains newspaper clippings that told a fascinating story of economic collapse, people driven insane by various maladies including "religious excitement" and being a lover scorned- and admitted to an insane asylum with little hope of recovery. The BBC made a movie based on this book. I was able to find it at the Pierce County (Washington) library. Perhaps you can find it too. I was delighted to find a used copy on Amazon- probably enjoyed that even more than a new one.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • D. Cooklock
    3.0 out of 5 stars Spine damaged by postal carrier.
    Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    As a soft cover book, different packaging should be considered.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Carole Jones
    5.0 out of 5 stars Strange but could not put it down!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 30, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    What an odd book, snippets from local and state newspapers around end of 19th century all about death by fair means and foul. A compelling read I couldn't put it down. The only thing that would have improved it for me would be names to identify all the fabulous photos of the people of that place and time. Would highly recommend this book for an unusual but very interesting read.
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  • Trench of Rabbits
    5.0 out of 5 stars Cool
    Reviewed in Canada on September 22, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    An interesting conversation piece.
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on March 20, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    as advertised.
    Report
  • antonella
    5.0 out of 5 stars Buy It!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 21, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I bought this book because I saw a documentary of the same name.
    It intrigue me a lot and the book has not been disappointing... great pictures and stories!
    Report
  • tinks
    4.0 out of 5 stars weird and amazing!
    Reviewed in Canada on March 27, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    the book is absolutely amazing. pairing the photos (without captions , so that the reader forms their own narrative!) with the excerpts from local newspapers over two decades was *genius*. it tells us that, no matter where or when we live, humans are strange and weird sh** always happens, and it’s SO FASCINATING!

    if you’re into history and are interested in human nature, especially the more macabre aspects, i highly recommend this classic!

    the only negative (and why it lost a star) is that this edition does have a *very* flimsy cover; if i were the publisher i might have gone with something slightly heavier to better support a book of this size, but really, that’s just a quibble.
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