Inca Land

Hiram Birmingham III was an American explorer who journeyed to Peru in the early 20^th century. Birmingham was made famous for his travelogue titled Inca Land: Explorations in the Highlands of Peru where he documented his journey to the Machu Picchu ruins. At the time, travelogues were a popular genre that allowed American and European audiences to learn about distant lands from the perspective of the explorer who wrote it. Birmingham himself played an important role in popularizing Machu Picchu in the United States through his travelogue. His travelogue follows his expedition from his departure to his arrival at Machu Picchu.

In his travelogue, Birmingham puts a lot of emphasis on describing both the landscape and the people he encounters with his guides. Birmingham describes the landscape and structures he sees in as exotic and breathtaking. One example can be found in chapter 17 where he arrives at Machu Picchu. He stated, “it did not take an expert to realize, from the glimpse of Machu Picchu on that rainy day in July 1911” that here “were the most extraordinary and interesting ruins” (Birmingham, 1922). Birmingham also describes the people he encountered during his expedition. He shows interest in the lifestyle of the people he meets. But he also describes them with pejorative words like “primitive,” which is an example of common American views at the time of uncivilized people and cultures (Birmingham, 1922).

There are many aspects to American perceptions of Latin America. On one hand, figures like Birmingham are an example of how many Americans have a history of perceiving Latina as backwards or uncivilized. But there are also hints of appreciation in his travelogue such as the beauty of Incan architecture. Birmingham’s travelogue is an important source which had the effect of popularizing Machu Picchu in the United States.

Works Cited:

Birmingham, Hiram. Inca Land: Exploration in the Highlands of Peru. Cambridge: Riverside Press, 1922. https://archive.org/details/incalandexplorat00bing/mode/2up?view=theater