Examines colonial and post-colonial touristic visual representations of Jamaica and the Bahamas.

Illustrations ix
Abbreviations xiii
Acknowledgments xv
Introduction: Tropicalization: The Aesthetics and Politics of Space in Jamaica and the Bahamas 1
1. Framing “The New Jamaica”: Feasting on the Picturesque Tropical Landscape 27
2. Developing the Tropics: The Politics of the Picturesque in the Bahamas 92
3. Through the Looking Glass: Visualizing the Sea as Icon of the Bahamas 156
4. Diving into the Racial Waters of Beach Space in Jamaica: Tropical Modernity and the Myrtle Bank Hotel’s Pool 204
5. “I Am Rendered Speechless by Your Idea of Beauty”: The Picturesque in History and Art in the Postcolony 252
Epilogue: Tropical Futures: Civilizing Citizens and Uncivilizing Tourists 297
Notes 307
References 331
Illustration Credits 349
Index 355