The Kinsley Lecture Series Presents: William L. Bird, Jr's: "In the Arms of Saguaros: Iconography of the Giant Cactus"
Sat, Oct 09
|Tubac Presidio State Historic Park
In this carefully and thoroughly researched and curated book, Larry helps us piece together and understand a key element of Southwestern identity, how the saguaro became a global icon. It is a story of discovery, cultural appropriation and erasure.


Time & Location
Oct 09, 2021, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Tubac Presidio State Historic Park, 1 Burruel St, Tubac, AZ 85646, USA
Guests
About the Event
"In the Arms of Saguaros: Iconography of the Giant Cactus," authored by William L. Bird Jr.:
In this carefully and thoroughly researched and curated book, William L. Bird helps us piece together and understand a key element of Southwestern identity, how the saguaro became a global icon. It is a story of discovery, cultural appropriation and erasure—including actions of Tucson’s Desert Botanical Laboratory, marketing, economics, and a sense of wonder—and, ultimately as Larry shows us, one of connection. Each of these elements has positioned the saguaro for its current moment, a relatable symbol of the arid west. Tucked throughout these pages are facets of history, especially of a slew of twentieth-century Tucson characters, that figure prominently into the shaping of the identities of not just Tucson and Phoenix, but in many ways the arid Southwest as a whole. This work fills an important gap and helps link what are at…
Tickets
William L. Bird, Jr./Saguaro
$10 per lecture. A portion of the proceeds supports our education and preservation programs. This lecture will take place inside our 1885 Old Schoolhouse. Admission fee includes all day entrance into the park and historic buildings.
$10.00
Sale ended