Your Sheep Are All Counted: A Roadside Archeology of South of the Border Billboards

Book Reviews

Your Sheep Are All Counted: A Roadside Archeology of South of the Border Billboards, by P.J. CapelottiYour Sheep Are All Counted: A Roadside Archeology of South of the Border Billboards
By P.J. Capelotti
Whitman Publishing, 2022
Hardcover, 272 pages, $29.95

Reviewed by Frank Brusca

Your Sheep Are All Counted is a retrospective of one of the most spectacular and successful outdoor advertising campaigns ever staged. Over the past 75 years, SoB’s clever and orthodox advertising campaign by founder Alan Schafer transformed a tiny beer stand into a significant tourist attraction. Capelotti’s richly-illustrated tome draws upon hundreds of black and white and full-color photographs from SoB’s advertising archive and roadside photographers such as John Margolies.

Consuming Landscapes: What We See When We Drive and Why It Matters

Book Reviews

Consuming Landscapes - What We See When We Drive and Why It Matters, by Thomas ZellerConsuming Landscapes: What We See When We Drive and Why It Matters
By Thomas Zeller
Johns Hopkins University Press, 2022
Hardcover, 239 pages, $53.23

Reviewed by Brian Gallaugher

Central to Zeller’s thesis is the concept of “Roadmindedness,” that is, the belief, current in the early 20th century, that roads would elevate society and contribute to progress; and, even more, that “roads are worthy in and of themselves.”

Isaly’s: Chipped Ham, Klondikes, and Other Tales

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Isaly’s: Chipped Ham, Klondikes, and Other Tales
By Brian Butko
Pittsburgh: Senator John Heinz History Center, 2021
Softcover, 148 pages, $19.95
Available at https://visithei.nz/isalys-book

Reviewed by Harold Aurand Jr.

Brian Butko’s new book, Isaly’s: Chipped Ham, Klondikes, and Other Tales from Behind the Counter is aimed at people who remember Isaly’s glory days. Isaly’s (rhymes with “fries, please”) dairy business started in eastern Ohio, established a chain of stores in the surrounding area and quickly rose to become the world’s largest chain of dairy/deli stores.