A biker festooned in ritual leather, astride a Harley. The New York skyline. A bison cow and calf shaking off the early spring snow at Yellowstone. The U.S. Capitol at dusk.
These are just a few of the 145 enduring images that comprise photographer Steve Gottlieb's tribute to things that are quintessentially American, from hot dogs at the ball park to the somber vigil of Marine guards at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington cemetery. Embellished with appropriate quotations from insightful commentators from Alexis de Toqueville to Bill Bryson, the collective force of the images brings unity to the idea of the American experience. American Icons comprises, in the words of the photographer, "the people, places, and things that have, by virtue of history, nostalgia, taste, topographical beauty, or simple familiarity, come to symbolize our country."