Colorado: A History in Photographs, Revised Edition

by Duane A. Smith

Photography in Colorado was encouraged as early as 1861, when newspaper editor William Byers wrote in the Rocky Mountain News , "Secure the shadow, ere the substance perish," and roused the citizenry to take photographs of their families, friends, landscape, homes, and mills in order to document their lives and share them with others. The revised edition of A History in Photographs draws on this rich legacy, portraying Colorado's history in images taken from the frontier era to the present, all accompanied by a vivid, updated narrative. Presenting a broad view of countless aspects of life in Colorado and including 270 black-and-white photographs, this book will inform, entertain, and inspire all those who delight in learning more about the history of the Centennial State.

Genres: History

312 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1991

About the author

Duane Smith received his academic degrees from the University of Colorado and completed his Ph.D. in 1964. That year he began to teach at Fort Lewis College where he is a Professor of Southwest Studies. His areas of research and writing include Colorado history, Civil War history, mining history, urban history and baseball history. He is an extremely popular professor at Fort Lewis, and he is the author of over thirty books on a variety of subjects including Rocky Mountain Mining Camps: The Urban Frontier; A Colorado History; Horace Tabor: His Life and the Legend; Silver Saga: The Story of Caribou Colorado; Colorado Mining: A Photographic History; Fortunes Are for the Few: Letters of a Forty-niner; Rocky Mountain Boom Town: A History of Durango; A Land Alone: Colorado’s Western Slope; Song of the Hammer and Drill: The Colorado San Juans, 1860-1914; Mining America: The Industry and the Environment, 1800-1980; Mesa Verde National Park: Shadows of the Centuries; The Birth of Colorado: A Civil War Perspective; and Sacred Trust: The Birth and Development of Fort Lewis College.

Reviews

[Lexi]

SUCH A GOOD BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Laura Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really 2.5 stars. Only some interesting information is written down, the story is in the pictures.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected to enjoy the photos more than the text, but, as often happens, I was wrong. The history of Colorado is divided into five section of 20-30 years each. These summaries give insight into the two authors. Lots on mining, railroads, and politics (which is to be expected).

I would have enjoyed the book more if the photos had been integrated into the text, which would have made them more relevant to the reader and imbalances would have been more obvious to the authors.

And I learned some interesting historical tidbits ... e.g, I didn't know that drivers weren't to exceed 35mph during WWII -- how long was that in place?

p 217 Overexploitation of skiing and tourism caused Aspen to lose much of its charm.
That can now be said for just about every small town in Colorado, especially the mountain towns.

[Di · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are the times in which our whole generation must take a stand and define a sustainable future. If we do not, our distinctive and special places may simply pass on and be replaced by the grey and generic. "
- Charles Wilkinson, page 226

Those with generational & emotional ties to Colorado will most likely get the most enjoyment out of this book.

There were a few notable people mentioned in this book that I have not come across elsewhere. Of particular note are:
Bertha Blancett, bronc rider
David Lavender, author
Thomas Hornsby Ferril, poet