In the book "The Devil in the White City," author Erik Larson emphasizes the importance of firsthand research over digital sources. He expresses a strong preference for physical interaction with historical documents, suggesting that each trip to a library or archive is an immersive experience akin to solving a detective mystery. The tangible connection to the past invigorates his writing, allowing him to uncover details that enrich his narrative.
Larson describes a significant moment during a visit to the Chicago Historical Society, where he discovered Prendergast's original notes to Alfred Trude. This finding deeply resonated with him, as it illustrated the physicality of history through the impressions left by the pencil on the paper, vividly bringing the past to life in a way that online research could never replicate.