In the digital image age in which we live, taking a photograph of someplace, something or someone has become second nature to us…well, it wasn’t always that way. Folks who mastered the art and technique of photography in the late 19th and early 20th centuries required much more effort and planning. Louis Charles McClure : At the Foot of Pikes Peak tells the story of a visually stunning part of Colorado through the eyes of a dedicated, yet little known photographer of that time. McClure’s work in early Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs, and surrounding area documents a very popular, visionary, and scenic region that, after only 30 years, had become a key destination for tourists and a health mecca for many. His photographs are visual reminders of a small town’s ambitions and a time gone-by when all photographers had to rely on was their planning, imagination, and skill. Come see for yourself!
Personal Presentation
Contact us regarding Rich’s talk and PowerPoint presentation. It is about 45 minutes in length, not including a question and answer period, but scalable to fit any organization’s program schedule. Books will be available for signing following the presentation. Please contact us regarding techical requirements and needs.
LOUIS CHARLES McCLURE: At the Foot of Pikes Peak
Louis Charles McClure: At the Foot of Pikes Peak tells the very unique story of the early development of the Colorado Springs’ area and how photography of the period documented its rapid growth. With respect to photography of the period, the book examines the work of McClure, a supremely gifted but relatively unknown Denver-based photographer whose images brought to life the area he loved. Those familiar with William Henry Jackson will understand the immense fortune McClure enjoyed as one of Jackson’s assistants for 20 years. And while the imprint of Jackson on McClure is unmistakable, Louis Charles McClure went on to establish himself as a photographer’s photographer, mastering the arts of composition and natural light. His results were stunning and his work in the Springs and Manitou, as well as his images of the Short Line and Midland Railroads, is a testament to the vision the founders had.
Appendix: A History of the Wet-Plate Collodion and Dry Plate Processes in Photography, by Angela Crews, MFA
September 2021 ISBN 978-1-943829-32-3 332 pages, soft cover, 11” x 8.5” $50.00
This book is also available locally: Clausen Books and Hooked on Books downtown
Rich Carnahan is a 5th generation native of Colorado Springs whose family came to the Springs in the mid-1890s. His Great and Great Great Grandfathers worked for several of the railroad systems in the area at that time including the AT&SF, Midland, and the Colorado Springs & Interurban Railway. He has had two careers, teaching and aerospace engineering. In both cases, he has written numerous technical and professional publications, and in 1990 he won the Author of the Year Award at Lockheed Martin. More recently, he has written photo captions for the Pikes Peak Library District’s Special Collections Department under the supervision of Erinn Barnes.