Condar Press

William Ludwell Sheppard (1833-1912) was an important illustrator of the post-Civil War period. A former Confederate from Virginia, his drawings of American life graced Picturesque America (1872) and nationally-circulated periodicals such as Every Saturday, Harper's, Leslie's and Appleton's Journal. This study shows how Appleton's editor Oliver Bunce commissioned Sheppard to travel along with young North Carolina novelist Christian Reid (Frances Fisher) to "The Land of the Sky," the emerging vacation destination of Western North Carolina. Their collaborative effort in 1875 resulted in one of the South's most famous literary achievements. Sheppard's unconventional sketches created a highly positive impression of the Asheville region, in contrast to negative stereotypes of Appalachia generally — a reputation that endures today.