Then and now

In 2002, Westcliffe Publishers produced a coffee table book to lust for, Arizona Then and Now. Each page in the oversized book shows historic pictures from way back when on the left hand and the modern view on the right. One of the coolest pictures in the entire book is of the Santa Fe bridge over Hell Canyon under construction in 1895 (the same bridge that stands today, BTW). Photographer Allen Dutton focused on change.

Going through my backlog of photographs, I happened across a different pairing of photos, showing, not change, but the changelessness of the outback. Top in April, 2006, and lower picture mid-March, 2008. Admittedly, a short 2-year time span doesn't measure up as a big deal in the grand scheme of things. On the other hand, not much appears to have changed -- except that the hood on the big truck has been closed (or, more likely, fell shut). I only wish I had shot this year's picture from the same vantage point. Location, by the way, along the Santa Maria Road. I should make a point of stopping by in another few years to see if those vehicles have gone anywhere or if they're truly a fixture of the landscape, rusting in place.