St. Louis On The Air

On September 10, 1910, Thomas Scott Baldwin flew over St. Louis, thrilling 200,000 onlookers along the Mississippi River. That moment of early flight — and many others — is at the heart of Edward McPherson’s new book, “Look Out: The Delight and Danger of Taking the Long View.” The Washington University professor writes about aerial photography, long-distance mapping and how seeing from above shapes power, privilege and perspective. The book is rooted in St. Louis, relaying stories about the Mississippian people in present-day Collinsville and the aerial surveillance of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.