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Phoenix Then and Now
From the moment it became Arizona's capital in 1912, Phoenix has enjoyed steady population growth and commercial expansion. Historic photographs, placed side-by-side with contemporary views of the same locations reveal a vibrant city, benefiting from wave upon wave of Easterners seeking sunshine in a culturally rich urban setting. Featured landmarks include the Heard Building, the San Carlos Hotel, the Monahan Building, and the Orpheum Theatre. With insider text from local authors, Phoenix Then and Now offers a lively journey through this vibrant city.
- GenresHistory
144 pages, Hardcover
First published June 3, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 20, 2021
Beautiful photos and explanations. So much history and happy some of the beautifully designed buildings are saved for future generations.
November 28, 2014
This books contains a lot of large format photographs and a bit of text.
On facing pages, the reader gets a black and white view of a famous/important Phoenix (or Tempe or Scottsdale or Mesa) landmark or street view as it appeared prior to 1950 and a full color view of how it appeared in the first five years of the 21st century. Each page also includes a couple of paragraphs of text giving more details of the view in each era.
Some buildings look in the 21st century almost exactly as they did in the beginning of the 19th. Some buildings are long torn down and the scene is now entirely different.
This book gets major points from me for its honesty about the Phoenix Indian School. In the paragraph elaborating on the 1922 photo of the Phoenix Indian School, it explains, "the government forcibly took Native American children from their parents, cut their hair, put them in military uniforms, and punished them for speaking native languages." Too often, this horrendous aspect of genocide is glossed over in the history of the U.S.
This book gorgeous oversize book is a must read for anyone interested in architecture, the history of Phoenix, or the history of Phoenix architecture.
On facing pages, the reader gets a black and white view of a famous/important Phoenix (or Tempe or Scottsdale or Mesa) landmark or street view as it appeared prior to 1950 and a full color view of how it appeared in the first five years of the 21st century. Each page also includes a couple of paragraphs of text giving more details of the view in each era.
Some buildings look in the 21st century almost exactly as they did in the beginning of the 19th. Some buildings are long torn down and the scene is now entirely different.
This book gets major points from me for its honesty about the Phoenix Indian School. In the paragraph elaborating on the 1922 photo of the Phoenix Indian School, it explains, "the government forcibly took Native American children from their parents, cut their hair, put them in military uniforms, and punished them for speaking native languages." Too often, this horrendous aspect of genocide is glossed over in the history of the U.S.
This book gorgeous oversize book is a must read for anyone interested in architecture, the history of Phoenix, or the history of Phoenix architecture.
August 15, 2011
I really like history. I admire architecture. I love Phoenix. I enjoy good photography. Roll them all into a single coffee table book and I am in. I loved the size, feel and composition of this book. Giant pictures with just the right amount of history to compliment the photograph.
If you are interested in the history of Phoenix or live in Phoenix and are in need of a great coffee table book this is a must have.
There are a few things that kept this from being a 5 star for me.
1. The angles of then and new photos in some cases were off enough to lose impact. The ones where the angle was identical were much more enjoyable.
2. Other cities were included. At first I thought this was nice, but the depth was so shallow and some cities were not included which made it so not including any of them would have been a better choice.
* disclosure: the publisher provided me a copy of this book for review
If you are interested in the history of Phoenix or live in Phoenix and are in need of a great coffee table book this is a must have.
There are a few things that kept this from being a 5 star for me.
1. The angles of then and new photos in some cases were off enough to lose impact. The ones where the angle was identical were much more enjoyable.
2. Other cities were included. At first I thought this was nice, but the depth was so shallow and some cities were not included which made it so not including any of them would have been a better choice.
* disclosure: the publisher provided me a copy of this book for review
August 21, 2007
This book had two of my favorite things...black and white photographs and history. I loved seeing what the city of Phoenix used to look like and what it has grown into. Although the writers had some of the descriptions and directions incorrect, I should know, I've only lived in the Phoenix area for over 25 years.
July 9, 2008
Awesome pictoral history book of the Greater Phoenix Area. I wish more historical landmarks could still exist. It was interesting to learn the history behind some of our valley's oldest places.
August 6, 2015
I live in Phoenixand have for most of my life so I enjoyed this. Lots of photos.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews