SKU: 14140492863

Chronicles of the Big Bend: A Photographic Memoir of Life on the Border

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Description

Chronicles of the Big Bend: A Photographic Memoir of Life on the BorderAs a young teamster on a pack mule train, Wilfred Dudley Smithers saw the Rio Grande's Big Bend for the first time in 1916, and it captured his imagination forever. For decades thereafter he returned to Texas' last great frontier the great bend of the Rio Grande on the Texas Mexico border chronicling the region and its people in words and photographs. After half a century of photography, Smithers' superlative collection of nine thousand images ended

As a young teamster on a pack-mule train, Wilfred Dudley Smithers saw the Rio Grande's Big Bend for the first time in 1916, and it captured his imagination forever. For decades thereafter he returned to Texas' last great frontier-the great bend of the Rio Grande on the Texas-Mexico border-chronicling the region and its people in words and photographs. After half a century of photography, Smithers' superlative collection of nine thousand images ended up at the University of Texas at Austin, and in 1976 more than one hundred of these were reproduced in Chronicles of the Big Bend, a critically acclaimed work that until now has long been out of print. The years that Smithers chronicled in the Big Bend were sometimes violent ones. Pancho Villa and Chico Cano were among the many "bandits" playing hide-and-seek with the U.S. Cavalry-events Smithers recorded. He was also an eyewitness to liquor-running and smuggling during Prohibition. His principal subjects, however, were the people of the Big Bend: local ranchers, Mexican American and American families, miners, Texas Rangers, and others living simple lives in this harsh and beautiful land. With words and camera Smithers wanted to capture "vanishing lifestyles, primitive cultures, old faces, and odd, unconventional professions. Before my camera I wanted huts, vendors, natural majesties, clothing, tools, children, old people, the ways of the border." He also told his own life story along with that of the Big Bend. There are illustrated chapters on the military, law enforcement, curanderos (healers), liquor smugglers, avisadores (secret-message senders), and the national park. Smithers' word sketches and black-and- white photographs capture the harsh reality and stark beauty, the dust and the mystery of the frontier era of the Big Bend that ended in 1944 when it became a national park. Chronicles of the Big Bend is a rare documentary look at a frontier region as it was known by only a few and as it will never be seen again. It is a deeply personal human portrait of the majestic Big Bend. WILFRED DUDLEY SMITHERS (1895-1981) was born in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, in 1895. He began taking photographs at age fifteen while living in San Antonio, and later worked as a teamster, joined the U.S. Army, operated a photo studio, served as a news correspondent, and helped pioneer aerial photography.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Texas State Historical Assn
Published: 03/15/2013
ISBN: 9780876112618
Pages: 160
Weight: 0.65lbs
Size: 9.80h x 7.00w x 0.40d
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SKU: 14140492863

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4.8 ★★★★★
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Claire53
Omaha, US
★★★★★ 4
Very pretty cookware
Size: 11-Piece Set
This is nice quality cookware for a great price. I have seen cooking shows that tell how to cook in stainless steel without it sticking. Unfortunately, my food still sticks. If I use a lot of oil, it isn’t so bad. One cooking show host says if you get it real hot before you add the oil, it won’t stick. It sticks. I am trying to get away from using Teflon because they say we have a lot of Teflon in our bodies from our cookware. I still go back to my Teflon a lot. But the cookware is very pretty, a nice weight, and cleans up fairly easily. I do soak the skillet before I clean it. I don’t have to do a lot of scrubbing. The sauce pans are great.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2025
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BookCase
Los Angeles, US
★★★★★ 5
Cooks well, cleans easily
Size: 15-Piece Set
Bought this to replace old nonstick cookware. Looks good and not too heavy. Pot handles are cool enough to hold near the ends but tend to warm up close to the pot itself. Using on a gas range – heat spreads quickly and cooks. Best on low heat. Some sticking problems with food like cereal, lower heat advised. Glass lids are very handy with steam outlet. Have not used all of them yet, but they store and stack easily and I was looking for a good size stock pot and this should suffice. Not as heavy as other stainless steel cookware. Price reasonable for the number of pieces included.So far I am very pleased with this purchase.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2026
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Verified Purchase
Heather D.
Alexandria, US
★★★★★ 5
Heat up well before use for "non-stick".
Size: 11-Piece Set
I really l Iike these stainless steel pots. I had to learn the trick to using them, and that is to make sure they are heated up properly before using. This makes them "non-stick" and your food won't stick to the bottom of the pot, especially if you're frying it. Also follow the manufacturers instructions and "season" the pots after you receive them, by coating the insides with oil and heat them up. They cook really well, are light weight, easy to use, easy to clean, very sturdy, shiny surface, and holds heat after you've finished cooking. Also, don't use harsh scrubbers in them because it will scratch the surface. Scotch Brite Scour Pads work well in these pots. If you scratch them, use the green Scotch Brite Scour Pads to polish the scratch marks out. Enjoy them!
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Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2026
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Sophia
Battle Creek, US
★★★★★ 5
EXCELLENT DEAL.
Size: 5-Piece Set
These are authentic food grade, stainless steel pots and pans sold for ten times more via other companies. I did the research and the part where we cook or boil is stainless steel. The core is aluminum (we don't get that when we eat) and the outside is stainless steel again. Beware, though, they are SUPER HEAVY. Lift weights before picking them up! We love them. Wish we'd bought them sooner. You can't cook on high with them, though, b/c it will burn the food, since it isn't nonstick. We've learned to cook low and slow. No need to scrub so much. That's the only drawback. Great quality!
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Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2025
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Verified Purchase
Andi R
Natrona Heights, US
★★★★★ 4
Yeah 😎 get em why not? lol
Size: 5-Piece Set, Size: 5-Piece Set
Paid $85. These feel nice, look nice, these are heavy but shiny, quick warmup. These are heavy. The lids won't lift while cooking or make sounds for air or bubbles which is good. It worries me that the one pot I use everyday the big one, the glass lid starts making cracking sounds as if about to break... Weird... Every time I cook it feels as if I'm waiting for something bad to happen and ruin my dinner. Overall, giving 3 stars, due to the glass cracking thrill, and the bottom of the pots give weird stain spots after cleaning. I used aluminum foil and little water to remove those stains. Well... Dark dirt came out but now these are back to shining. So it is burnt something perhaps the olive oil I cook with? But yeah one must foil clean these pots at least once a week as it takes effort to clean those bottoms... Is there a product that resolves this issue? I guess I'm too young for this 😂 I would recommend if you like fancy at a good price. Ahh and that the flat one is the worst for egg frying, I tried 2 times once w olive oil and then with coconut oil both times fried eggs were really sad 😢 waste of eggs. Anyhow. ... Do the math and if you like 'em just get 'em.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2025

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