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Texas Then and Now

By Richard Reynolds (Roy Flukinger - Foreword)

Texas Then & Now is an impressive book before you even open it. It's big -- oversized, you might say. But once opened, it is a true page turner.

Texas Then & Now is the result of a challenge offered to author and photographer Richard Reynolds to rephotograph Texas landscape images from the same vantage points that were used in old photographs from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Says the author,

Repeat photography is a tool used to gauge changes in the geography or ecology of the land. Precise technical rephotography utilizes mathematical triangulation and the necessity to match not only the time of year but also the precise time of day. For each rephotograph, I tried whenever possible to find and use the original photographer's vantage point. There were a number of exceptions, however. In some instances the original vantage point is no longer accessible. Frequently, a tree or other obstruction was in the way; I simply stepped aside to get a clearer view.

Reynolds' first task was to select the images to rephotograph. He searched through thousands of vintage photographs in collections around the state.

When researching photos, I took photocopies of the images into the field to determine if the scene could be duplicated. If it could, I drew two diagonal lines connecting the corners of each image (making a large "X") to determine the exact center point of each scene. . . .

Finding the locations of the old photos was the most demanding -- but also the most enjoyable -- part of the project. Sometimes, I immediately knew where the picture had been taken because of familiarity with the landmarks. In others, such as some of the Big Bend photos, it took the better part of a day to locate and photograph the exact spot.

It took Richard Reynolds 15 months and 30,000 miles to complete the project that became Texas Then & Now. The photographs, old and new, are excellent in themselves, but the comparisons between them are fascinating. Richards accompanies each photograph with descriptive text, and not mere captions. There is a great deal of historical information on both the "then" side and the "now".

The book is divided into six sections: West Texas, The Panhandle, Central Texas, East Texas, South Texas and Gulf Coast, and each is represented admirably. Many of the landscapes in Big Bend are, as one would expect, panoramic. Others, like the Terlingua Post Office of a hundred years ago, are smaller in scope.

Somewhat surprisingly, the Panhandle photos are of equal merit. There is an amazing 1923 photo of the Canadian River in raging flood stage that is positively frightening. Its modern twin reflects a calmer, smaller stream. An 1890 photo of Plainview, Texas, precisely illustrates the origin of the town's name.

Central Texas was as picturesque then as it is now. Austin and Fredericksburg are well represented, and the 1908 picture of Marble Falls clearly shows the falls that are not visible today. In the 1912 photo of the Flatiron Building, Fort Worth's oldest surviving skyscraper, it stands virtually alone; today it is overshadowed by the modern buildings surrounding it.

The lumber mill from 100 years ago in East Texas’ Camden presents a very different picture from the same present view. And, surprisingly, a view of Kilgore in the 1940s is not all that different from the modern version, with the exception of the many oil derricks in the older photo. The missions in South Texas are particularly well represented, some of which are in better repair today than when the old photographs were taken. An early view of San Antonio's River Walk is interesting as well.

There is an amazing contrast between photographs of the Goose Creek Oilfield in the Gulf Coast section. The circa 1919 photo shows a landscape or, more accurately, waterscape, positively bristling with hundreds of oil derricks. Today's view is that of serene Goose Lake with the only oil derrick in sight being a monument erected in 1983 to commemorate the early days of the oilfield.

Too large for your average bookshelf, Texas Then & Now is an ideal coffee table book. And what better place for it? There on the coffee table is it within easy reach, which is a good thing because you'll be reaching for it for years to come.