Robin Hardy Online

Big Bend, 1958

In researching photo archives for possible covers for the new edition of Padre (set primarily in Big Bend, Texas) Robin located some slides taken by her dad during a family vacation to Big Bend in August of 1958, when Robin was 3. On the outside chance that readers may find this blast from the past interesting, we offer a sample of those photos here.

Here are the travel, lodging, and food-service accommodations for mom, dad, and kids ages 7, 5, and 3: the two-door sedan (no A/C) and Scottie camper. (Brother Rog, who came along way later, tells us the car's a 1955 Chevy Bel Air.) Robin and brother Tom are standing on the roadside grill pit while Mom cooks breakfast on a butane stove. (Some years later, Robin remembers this stove blowing up while her mother was using it, leaving her with some nasty scars.) (Correction--see note below.).

Here's Robin's beautiful mom affirming that the family has arrived at Persimmon Gap, elevation 2970 ft. A favorite trick of this photographer, who had no means of captioning slides, was to take pictures of signs. While not aesthetically ideal, it worked.

Robin's dad was also an amateur naturalist, in that he found every hill, cactus, and clump of dirt worth photographing. There were probably a hundred slides like this, documenting lots of cactus. Lots of dirt. Dry, hot dirt.

Here are mom and kids exploring the Cactus Garden. We know that's the Cactus Garden because of the sign: "Cactus Garden."

Here is a very interesting rock formation. We don't know what it's called because Dad didn't photograph the sign.

Dad had some winners in the lot--this is an early front runner for the new cover. While there's no sign, it's probably the Chisos Mountains.

Finally, here are some hot, tired folks--Robin, Mom, Tom, and John--taking a breather outside an establishment that had cold drinks.

From what Robin remembers, it was a good trip.

Regarding the stove, brother Tom has this correction: "The little Coleman stove didn't blow up. Mom was trying to light the propane stove inside the camper, and accumulated gas exploded and caught her hair on fire for a second (she had her head partially in the stove trying to light it).  She grabbed the doormat and wrapped it around her head for a second to put out any flames. I was standing to her right, and felt the heat, but was really otherwise just a bystander." (back to text)

 

posted Feb. 18, 2006

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