Looking Glass Rock
Grandeur and Abundance in the Southern Appalachian Mountains
Peter L. Schmunk
Beginning as a project to photograph a wild place through the seasons, this book developed over time into a deep study of both the natural and human history of an outstanding feature of North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest. Looking Glass Rock is a pluton, a massive mound of granite defined by towering cliffs that attract elite climbers as well as casual hikers and sightseers. An extensive photographic archive forms the core of the book, supplemented by historic images and maps. An accompanying essay explores the abundant botany and unique geology of Looking Glass Rock, as well as the various peoples–Cherokee Indians, hardscrabble Scots-Irish farmers, vastly wealthy Biltmore estate owners, loggers, moonshiners, and Civilian Conservation Corpsmen–who once occupied the area and left traces of their former presence. This book offers a model for an exploration of a particular Appalachian landscape with a fulsome appreciation for both its wild beauty and its compelling human story.
About the Author
Peter L. Schmunk was recently named professor emeritus with his retirement from Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, after 35 years of teaching art and cultural history. Since 2005 he has also developed an active studio practice in photography with frequent participation in juried shows and ten single-artist exhibitions. An avid hiker, backpacker, backroad driver, and international traveler, he is constantly engaged by the challenge of interpreting visual experience in creative ways. These many interests found fulfilment in a decade of visits to Looking Glass Rock in the Pisgah National Forest of North Carolina, where he encountered the extraordinary beauty of a wild landscape, photographed its natural phenomena in all seasons, and researched its rich human history.
