Do I have an aversion to technology? It seems absurd; I adore my computer and my microwave, my vacuum cleaner and my Ipod. So, why, then, do I hesitate to write about the impacts of technology on local history?
I've been working on a series looking at the development of the Front Range, fervently delving into local history. This isn't the first time I've indulged myself with the subject. Outside of classes, I've read books summarizing world history from various standpoints. Every time, when I approached the industrial revolution, I've backed away. Strangely, I met the same block while working on local history. Everything was going smoothly, until electricity came into the picture. I realized, this time, that it wasn't a lack of interest that was holding me back. Rather, the power lines running into the picture became a catalyst of almost overwhelming proportions. Everything changed; to this day, we are still adapting.
When that overpowering sensation hit me, this time, I didn't quit. I'll admit, I paused, as you can see in the last post. I found myself with too many pieces. It felt as if I was leaving things out, or skipping one good part to fit in another, in order to keep the series brief. Finally, I asked myself, "Why hasn't anyone written a book about this? The land, the way it has changed, the people who helped create the change, what we can learn from them, and where we are going from here?" Then it dawned on me... I have the book in front of me. It just needs to be written. I'll finish out the series quickly, and use it as an outline for a book. That way, I don't have to feel guilty for leaving anything out. (I'll post the next part--about the arrival of new technologies-- tomorrow*. Stay tuned.)
So, in the end, perhaps I don't fear technology, so much as I'm overwhelmed by it. If I look back at the last century in my neighborhood, I see drastic, sweeping changes. It as if technology has turned the place upside down. But was this really so abrupt? Or was the industrial revolution simply a natural progression of information processing? Is our shiny new digital world any different? Are we facing a revolution of similar proportions today?
Image of a storm sewer being constructed in Denver between 1910 and 1920, by the Ford Optical Company, via the Western History Photos collection at the Denver Public Library.
*--So, "tomorrow" was an estimate. I'm learning slowly... It's probably wise not to make that sort of estimate too hastily, as computers have a tendency to crash and lose data soon after. It's still on the way. The post should appear here on Thursday, before noon strikes the East Coast. I apologize for the inconvenience and hope you check back then.
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I have seen a wonderful book with pictures taken throughout Colorado by someone in the past about 100 years ago, and then essentially the same pictures taken again 100 years later. It was interesting how much had changed and how much hadn't. Whole towns disappeared in the Front Range area, and other areas are now urban. Some creeks with stones jumbled around were amazingly virtually identical. I can't remember the title but it was a large book and had great commentary by the person trying to find the exact place to retake the photo. Is this a well known title? (I will have to ask my sister-in-law in Denver.)
I think you mean the Jackson/Fielder books (there's a pair of them, now.) Fielder's delightful work was in part an inspiration for this series. Abel Pharmboy picked up on it, too, when I did some before and after pictures in this post. I have a few similar shots planned for the upcoming posts. I may not match Fielder's technique, but I certainly enjoy the effort.
Yes those were the books. One thing that struck me about them that I wasn't expecting was not the overwhelming effect of people on the landscape but rather how much stuff was built in the first set of pictures and was totally gone in the second. It hit me kind of like the book "1492" which described the civilizations in Amazonia which are just gone now only visible as layers of charcoaled soil.
I've started a climate change project called proxEarth.org. Many people have blogs, websites, and use social software sites (social networking, social bookmarking, photo and video sharing, etc.). Some standards for tags and text on blogs, websites, and social software sites could turn the whole global Internet into a kind of Web 2.0 participation platform for climate change. Iâm suggesting a few simple standards for tags and text that leverage processes of the sustainable ProxThink growth model. To get this going, we need people to adopt and use these standards. The project could also use contributors, collaborators, partners, funders and sponsors. To find out more, see: