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  Home Page » A&E » Photo Book More Than Eye Candy

Photo book more than eye candy

by Leslie Doran
Special to the Herald

This book is a wonderful treat. Although it could be just a classic coffee table book, The Most Beautiful Villages and Towns of the Southwest turns out to be much, much more.

Most books of this type are heavy on lovely photos but short on words. Not this one. It has both. The writer has managed to capture the essence of her subjects, gathering history, local tidbits and special stories to share with readers.

Joan Tapper is the author of the text while Nik Wheeler created 307 photographs that complement and showcase the extensive narrative.

The organization of the book is simple and straightforward, beginning with an introduction that gives homage to the landscape that forms this part of the country. The author focused on the states of Arizona, western Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. The land covered is half a million square miles and includes 16 national parks and even more national monuments.

Eventually, the project concentrated on 28 communities, including villages of only a few hundred people to towns of 40,000 or more.

Among the featured towns are Bisbee, Jerome, and Tombstone in Arizona; Aspen, Ouray and Telluride; Virginia City, Nev.; Mesilla, Taos and Cimarron in New Mexico; and Bluff, Kanab and Moab in Utah.

In addition to the chapters that feature towns in each state, there are four special sections. The first one is “Monument Valley and Beyond: The Southwest and the Movies.” Next are “Ghost Towns: Relics of Boom and Bust” followed by “Route 66: The Classic American Byway.” Route 66 highlights the southwestern portion of what John Steinbeck called the “Mother Road” in The Grapes of Wrath.

The final section, titled “Petroglyphs, Pueblos, Trading Posts and Pow-wows: Exploring the Native American Southwest,” tells of the Native American history and culture. Tapper also highlights the unique makeup of the southwest with its tricultural inclusion of Native American, Hispanic and Anglo inhabitants. Tapper weaves the story of the peoples who immigrated to this land with the nature of the land itself.

Of special interest to locals will be the section about Durango and Silverton. Tapper and Wheeler do great justice to our town, capturing the unique physical, historical and cultural attractions of our area.

One great observation by Tapper about Silverton is: “Remote, quiet, with a frozen-in-time feel, the town is a bit like Brigadoon, coming to life each time the train pulls into town.”

The end portion of the book contains three helpful segments that offer more information. The first is “Places to Stay and Eat” followed by a map of the towns and places covered in the book. The final section is “Selected Readings,” which offers suggestions for additional facts and fiction about the southwest.

The wonderful photographs by Nik Wheeler are vivid and captivating. The emphasis of the subject matter is the land and its memorable structures.

The Most Beautiful Villages and Towns of the Southwest has real texture and meat between its covers and is a satisfying read. Having been to several of the places included in the book and reading about the other towns makes me want to pack my bags and take a road trip.

This book should be a welcome addition for those who love and live in such an incredible place. Also, it would make a great gift to others because it illustrates what draws us to live in such a wonderful part of the world.

Leslie Doran is a local freelance writer whose book reviews have appeared in The Denver Post, numerous magazines and other publications. Reach her at sierrapoco@yahoo.com.