The Lure of the Camera

In Short

Charles S. Olcott’s The Lure of the Camera is a reflective travelogue documenting a series of informal excursions taken across Great Britain, Italy, New England, and the American West over more than a dozen years. Armed with a camera, Olcott visits literary landmarks, historical valleys, scenic lakes, and vast natural wonders, seeking to connect famous works of literature and historical events to their real-world settings. The book endures as a charming blend of literary commentary, photography-driven exploration, and a testament to the friendly human connections made while wandering off the beaten path.

The Story

The volume opens with a distinction between a serious journey and a leisurely ramble, establishing that these collected essays stem from relaxed, incidental excursions made over more than a decade. Olcott begins his travels in Great Britain, pursuing the physical settings that inspired classic literature. In the village of Ellastone, he finds the real-life counterpart to George Eliot’s fictional Hayslope from Adam Bede, marveling at how little the quiet hamlet has changed since her father’s time. Moving into the Westmoreland hills, he spends a peaceful day wandering along the shores of Lake Windermere, using Wordsworth’s poetry to ground his appreciation of the English countryside. Continuing north into Scotland, he follows the winding river Esk from Hawthornden to Roslin Glen, retracing the early romantic walks of Sir Walter Scott amidst ancient castles and battlefields.

The literary tour expands into an exploration of Mrs. Humphry Ward’s novels. Olcott spends time with Mrs. Ward herself, taking motor-boat trips across Lake Como in Italy, before traveling through the wild gorse of Surrey and the bleak moorlands of Kinderscout in Derbyshire to locate the rural farms and mountain cascades depicted in her fiction.

Shifting focus from literature to pure scenery, Olcott embarks on a tour of the Italian lakes. He captures the windy, mountain-backed expanse of Lake Maggiore and explores Lake Como, reflecting on the Roman history of the region and imagining the quiet lives of Pliny the Younger and his contemporaries in their ancient lakeside villas.

Crossing the Atlantic, Olcott turns his lens toward the literary landmarks of New England. He wanders through Concord, Massachusetts, visiting the Old Manse, the historic battlefield bridge, and Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, where Emerson, Thoreau, and Hawthorne lie buried. In Salem, he investigates the weather-stained house on Turner Street associated with Hawthorne’s The House of the Seven Gables, exploring its structural history and secret staircases. His coastwise journey continues to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and out to the Isles of Shoals, visiting Celia Thaxter’s island garden and reflecting on John Burroughs's deep connection to nature.

Finally, the book ventures into the rugged terrain of the American West. Olcott explores the geothermal wonders of Yellowstone National Park, documenting bubbling paint pots, prismatic lakes, and steam-belching geysers. The narrative concludes with an arduous descent into the Grand Canyon, where he descends past steep cliffs to the edge of the roaring Colorado River, bringing his wide-ranging journeys to a memorable close.

How It Unfolds

The British rambles Olcott explores the English countryside and Scottish glens, tracing the geographic roots of novels by George Eliot and Sir Walter Scott while receiving generous assistance from locals and officials alike.

The world of Mrs. Humphry Ward A joint excursion on Lake Como with Mrs. Humphry Ward leads into a detailed survey of her settings across Surrey, Oxford, and the rainy moors of Derbyshire.

The Italian lakes The author travels through Maggiore and Como, pairing photographic attempts with historical reflections on Roman antiquity and classical villa life.

New England's literary heart Olcott visits Concord, Salem, and Portsmouth, documenting historic battlefields, ancestral homes with secret staircases, and the resting places of famous American transcendentalists and writers.

The natural wonders of the West The travelogue finishes with excursions through Yellowstone's geysers and colorful hot springs, followed by a descent into the depths of the Grand Canyon to view the violent Colorado River.

The People

Charles S. Olcott The author and photographer whose curiosity drives the narrative. He seeks to capture the spirit of famous literary works and landscapes on glass plates, depending constantly on the hospitality of strangers to gain access to historical sites.

Mrs. Humphry Ward A prominent novelist who hosts Olcott in Italy and serves as the subject of several chapters. She is portrayed as an intellectually grounded, purposeful writer who draws inspiration directly from the physical environments of Surrey, Derbyshire, and Lake Como.

William Wordsworth Though long deceased, the poet acts as a central influence on Olcott’s travels through Westmoreland. His verse guides the author's perception of the Lake District, framing nature as a source of moral and spiritual inspiration.

John Burroughs An American naturalist and writer who serves as a primary point of reflection in the later chapters. He represents a grounded, deeply observant love of the natural world that bridges literary appreciation with scientific understanding.

In Its Own Voice

"The difference between a ramble and a journey is about the same as that between pleasure and business." The author introduces his philosophy of travel, distinguishing casual, pleasure-filled excursions from structured, purpose-driven trips.

"I had never expected to find the real Hayslope." Olcott records his surprise upon discovering that the village setting of George Eliot's novel remained almost completely intact.

"A thin veil of rising steam was carried away by the wind just enough to reveal the wonderful colorings to our eyes..." While exploring Yellowstone's Prismatic Lake, the author captures the sudden, vivid play of light and color through the thermal mist.

What It's Really About

At its core, The Lure of the Camera explores how physical geography shapes human imagination. Olcott is less interested in technical photographic instruction than in using his camera as an excuse to pause, observe, and connect literature to real soil, stone, and water. The book argues that art and nature are deeply intertwined, suggesting that visiting the birthplace of a poem or novel deepens one's understanding of both the creator and the creation. Beneath its travel narrative lies a quiet celebration of human kindness, as the author continually discovers that a shared appreciation for beauty and history prompts strangers to offer assistance wherever he wanders.

Why Read It Today

This book will appeal to lovers of classic English and early American literature, historical photography enthusiasts, and readers who enjoy gentle, contemplative travel writing. Reading Olcott's narrative feels like taking an unhurried walk through history with a cultured, observant companion who values quiet appreciation over high-speed sightseeing. It offers a nostalgic glimpse into early 20th-century travel when amateur photography required physical plate cases, patience, and direct permission from local gatekeepers.

Modern readers should be prepared for an episodic, non-linear structure that jumps across continents and years without a single overarching narrative plot. The prose reflects the genteel, leisurely style of its era, occasionally pausing for extended quotes from 19th-century poetry or detailed summaries of now-obscure contemporary novels. However, for those willing to match its relaxed pace, the book provides a delightfully peaceful journey through the landscapes, homes, and wild spaces that inspired some of the western world's most enduring writers.