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BEFORE LEWIS AND CLARK; Trivia, particulars, no big picture
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On the cover of Shirley Christian's recent book, Before Lewis and Clark: The Story of the Chouteaus, the French Dynasty that Ruled America's Frontier, is a detail from Karl Bodmer's idyllic painting, Herd of Bisons on the Upper Missouri. The painting shows a frontier plain in deep shadow, dotted with buffalo, presided over by a hazy yellow sunset. Executed in a rough style, the painting is nevertheless evocative, rousing a desire to know more about 19th century life along the Missouri River. ...
