Our regular readers know that we began a new project at the Zephyr in the past year–called “Zephyr America.” We’ve been slowly wading through the massive Zephyr archives of historic photos and digitizing them to share with our readers. To keep up with the project on a daily basis, please check out our Facebook page at Facebook.com/ZephyrAmerica.
Our archives contain thousands of photos, but at their heart is always Herb Ringer. Herb traveled the country and shot endless rolls of film, documenting road scenes from the 40s through the 70s. He took meticulous notes, and kept piles of historic brochures and maps. We count ourselves incredibly lucky to be able to explore his collection.
Herb was devoted to rail history, and was particularly fond of the historic railroads of Colorado. He traveled the famous Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Line multiple times over the years, beginning in the late 40s...
Herb returned to Durango in 1954, and took a shot of the recently “outshopped” or restored Silver Vista Car and other coaches…
He returned again in 1966, and shot the changing towns…
HERB RINGER came West from his home in New Jersey in 1939. Camera in hand, Herb captured the American West, from the Canadian Border to the Rio Grande and from the Big Sur coast to the High Plains.
We believe Herb’s collection of Life in the West is one of the finest. His work has been published in The Zephyr for 20 years.
My dear friend died on December 11, 1998…JS
For more photos, please check out ZEPHYR AMERICA: A LENS ON THE PAST
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Hey, that’s my home town! As always, Herb’s photos are a joy, with a wonderful mix of casual history and artistic vision.
One thing that immediately struck me, looking at the Durango depot shots: no fences! Compared to today, with perimeter security that seems normal but is quite strict, the depot in 1948 and 1966 seems incredibly open. What happened to us, that ubiquitous public high security seems normal?
Thank you so much for these great photos. Durango is my hometown too! I really enjoyed this trip back in time.