The San Francisco Peaks and Flagstaff Through the Lens of Time - Hardcover

by John L. Vankat (Author)

"Faithfully documented repeat photographs provide the context that helps us understand our beautiful and challenged mountain landscape."-Peter Z. Fulé, Regents' Professor of Forestry, Northern Arizona University

In this eye-catching visual essay celebrating the San Francisco Peaks and Flagstaff, watch more than 150 years unfold in over one hundred historical photographs and drawings precisely paired with their modern-day counterparts.

Ecologist, educator, and writer John L. Vankat reveals the telling details that bring the past alive. The result is an invitation to time-travel, appealing to anyone interested in nature, culture, or history.

In these striking landscapes at the apex of Arizona, humans have altered much of the natural environment, but the storied San Francisco Peaks remain a touchstone of beauty and emotion. Vankat gives us a chance to see and celebrate this special place as it was, to understand it today--and to consider what its past and present say about the future of the American West.

"Engaging, historically revealing, and scientifically sound, this book sets the standard for documenting long-term regional landscape changes." -William Wallace Covington, Emeritus Regents' Professor, School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University

Author Biography

John L. Vankat is a plant ecologist, educator, and writer whose interest in the history and dynamics of forests led to an early fascination with repeat photography, in which historical photographs are retaken to show the changes that have taken place over time. Vankat believes rephotography projects can entertain readers while also educating the public, land managers, and scientists about the effects of our policies and actions on the landscapes we hold dear.