As part of my immersion into all things Tucson, I’ve taken to reading local authors telling local stories.
I started with my high school and college classmate, Lisa Schnebley Heidinger. Her books, podcasts and texts and emails helped me make the transition back to my old hometown.
Inspired, I moved on to a couple of books from local authors that I know in my youth.
Bonnie Henry was a columnist at the Arizona Daily Star for years. Just a few years older than me and also a native of Tucson as well, her columns and memories have been published in a series of books documenting Tucson and Southern Arizona. Tucson Memories is the volume I own.
Jack Sheaffer was the Star’s chief photographer in the early 1970s into the 80s. Before that he had been a staff photographer and his images greeted our eyes every morning in the Star at breakfast. His book is a great collection of so many images from his era.
I had the good fortune to meet Mr. Sheaffer, as we called him, when he would stop into Tucson Photo Company on Fourth Avenue where I worked during my college years (1972-75). He would come in the back door of the shop (as so many other in the photography community would do) and park himself on a stool in the office area near Mr. (Paul) Miller’s desk. With a Nikon or two slung around his neck, short stogie cigar wedged in the corner of his mouth, he would relate stories while he waited for his film order or whatever. In hindsight, I was in the company of a local icon.
Seeing these images and reading the stories and captions bring back memories and cause me to delve deeper into more stories and research of my old/new hometown.
We live in quite the place.
Relentless
