Customer Reviews

Images of the San Juans - Historic Selections from the Ruth and Marvin Gregory Photograph Collection

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I have a collection of more than 100 books relating to Colorado andits history. "Images of the San Juans" is my favorite.

The large and well-preserved photographs from the Marvin and Ruth Gregory collection are fascinating as are the descriptions by P. David Smith. Most books offer only a sentence or two about a photograph but Mr. Smith gives a detailed description in a most interesting style. He points out small details in many of the photos which might otherwise go unnoticed. He answers questions and even raises a few of his own. I felt like I was being let in on some secrets from the past.

When I received the book, I anxiously leafed through the pages and stopped on page 38. The first words I read were "A chance to look back into the past is always something special."

Indeed, I enjoyed the journey through time.

I recently purchased "Images of the San Juans" to prepare for an upcoming trip I have planned for the area. This book does a great job of giving you a glimpse of life (and it was a rough life) the early minors and settlers had. One of the best features of the book is the uncanny ability of the author, P. David Smith, to bring out very subtle features found in these historical photographs. This just adds to the anticipation as you turn each page.

The price of the book is quite high. The price and size of the book place it into the revered "Coffee Table Book" category. The only fault I find with the book is the binding and quality of the paper is lacking for a book in this category.

If you enjoy understanding the history behind the places you visit and if you are planning trip to Southwestern Colorado (Durango, Telluride, Ridgeway, Ouray, or Silverton) then this book is a must read.