Vintage View

The dramatic beauty and stunning natural features of the Columbia River Gorge between Oregon and Washington States has drawn photographers and adventurers to record its drama since the photographic medium arrived in the American West in the mid-1800's. From Carlton E. Watkins' first glass plates in 1867, through the plates and film negatives of such photographers as Benjamin Gifford, William Henry Jackson, Edward S. Curtis, and Ray Atkeson, the Gorge has been captured and shared with the world, first for tourism and commercial expansion; later for recording the impressive geologic and cultural significance the region holds for the North American continent. The unique and diverse beauty of the region is still available live, and in-person. This book does not attempt to pass itself off as a collection of "vintage" photographs, authentic to the past, but rather embraces the look and style of those bygone photographer's work, while showcasing the modern look and form of the Columbia River Gorge, as they "may have seen it" - today. Imagine stepping back in time, but remaining firmly in the comfort of the present.