A Tribute to Early Texas: Through the Lens of Master Photographer John R. Blocker. By Anita Higman and Sylvia B. Thompson.
John R. Blocker may very well be the "Ansel Adams" of Texas photography. This
volume of black-and-white photographs documents the West Texas landscape and the
encroachment of modernization during the first half of the twentieth century.
The book is structured so that the photographs proceed from the pristine natural
landscape s to type gradual infringement of civilization in the form of pioneer
settlements, windmills, roads, wagons, and motor cars. Blocker's camera presents
a nostalgic, almost pastoral view of an early Texas landscape that is now a
thing of the past, evoking "memories of places and customs forever altered or
erased". (p.vii). Especially memorable are his views of rustic farmhouses and
fences, longhorn cattle and Angora goats, and the scenic vistas of the Big Bend
country.
Though he considered himself an amateur photographer, John R. Blocker's work is
equal to the best in landscape photography, functioning as it does on both an
aesthetic as well as historical level. The photographs of ruined pioneer
homesteads are a case in point. Blocker's camera captures the decayed structures
of stone and wooden houses, as well as a jacal, which was made of limbs and
posts and was one of the earliest dwellings in West Texas. Railroads and the
various towns and structures that accompanied them are also represented in the
collection of Blocker photos. The book culminates with a series of photographs
of Spanish missions and panoramic views of the capitol in Austin, taken from the
unique perspective of the clock tower at the University of Texas when it was
being constructed.
As an historical record the photos document the changing landscape of Texas
during the 1930's and 1940's. Blocker's landscape photography is complemented by
text which provides both an historical context as well as a poetic one. Anita
Higman and Sylvia B. Thompson are to be commended for their insightful and
informative commentary.
The only weakness of the book is that there are no dates and precise locations
provided for the majority of the photographs. This is duly noted by the editors
in a note following the face page that acknowledges that attempts were made for
detailed labeling of the photos, but accurate cataloging of them had
deteriorated over the years. Fortunately, the photos speak for themselves, and
the text provided gives a rough historical narrative to them. The volume is a
welcome introduction to the landscape of early Texas as it was seen by
photographer John R. Blocker
Ronald W. Wilson
University of Kansas
From the vantage point of 40 years in the cow business, most of it in the
"High Lonesome"
country of Big Bend, I am glad to see this book, celebrating the efforts of John
R. Blocker,
photographer, and his Tribute to Early Texas. A fine work!
J. Alfred Roosevelt
Marfa, Texas
Texas nature lovers will want to look through he lens of an early
photographer and find the
lyrical poetry and historic discoveries about an old friend, the bluebonnet, in
this book,
which is charming to our libraries. Thank you, Anita Higman and Sylvia Thompson,
for giving us fresh insights to the bounty of Texas landscapes.
Liz Carpenter
Austin, Texas
I was born and bred in Texas, and when I grew up my first books were written
in Texas.
What Anita Higman and Sylvia Thompson have created in this book is irresistible.
The photographs present life in early Texas with descriptive clarity. The poetic
quality
of Ms. Higman's prose-presentations floods my heart with memories. The book is
also eloquently educational and poignant and will be cherished by readers of all
ages.
Dr. Ruth Vaughn
author of 40 books including Write to Discover Yourself