Steve Davis to speak on Photography and the American West at Dangberg Historic Park

Historian Steve Davis will speak on a visual exploration of photography and the American West in the nineteenth century, in a free presentation at the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park on Saturday, September 3, at 10:00 am.

The invention of photography in 1839 roughly paralleled American movement into the West. With surprising speed, photographers - with their bulky equipment and primitive technology - began recording every facet of western life, including landscape and people, manifestations of economic activity such as mining and railroads, and aspects of daily life. Some photographers accompanied exploratory expeditions, while others tried to make a living through portraiture and documenting life in their communities.

Historian and photographer Steve Davis, will share a fascinating look at the people and places of the West, in a presentation illustrated by numerous photographs taken within Nevada. Images displayed will include those taken during President U.S. Grant’s visit to Virginia City, during the construction of the transcontinental railroad, and at Wyatt Earp’s saloon in Tonopah. Davis also looks into the technical and cultural background of the era to provide context for the images.

This presentation is also made possible with the assistance of Nevada Humanities, an independent affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Steve Davis is a historian and documentary photographer who lives in Reno. Davis’ photographic projects include Childhood Memory and Sense of Place in Northern Nevada and Stories from the Front Lines: Portraits and Stories about the Lives of Cancer Patients, Their Families, and Caregivers. He has documented the changing nature of agricultural and open lands in northern Nevada, as well as in Minnesota and California. Steve Davis’ entire photographic archive has been acquired by Special Collections at the University of Nevada, Reno for their permanent collection. Davis is the former Assistant Director of Nevada Humanities. He loves the Great Basin and travels its deserts and mountains as often as possible.

The park is located at 1450 Hwy 88m ¼ mile north of the Carson Valley Veterinary Hospital. This is an outdoor event, and visitors should bring their own seating. Dogs are not permitted at this event. For more information, visit dangberghomeranch.org.

Our final speaker in the series will be Sherry L. Rupert with a presentation on Preserving the Stewart Indian School on September 24. The park’s full 2016 event schedule is available at the park’s website.

Location