Herb Ringer
Encyclopedia
Herb Ringer was an amateur
photographer who chronicled the rural and wilderness areas of the Western United States
and Canada
.
Ringer was born in Brooklyn
, New York
. Not long after, the Ringer family moved to the Mt. Auburn
section of Cincinnati.
Ringer moved to Reno, Nevada in 1939, and began his life-long practice of traveling to explore the west, making journal entries about his travels while taking what are now estimated to be almost 10,000 photographs. Ringer from the start used 35 mm cameras but later bought a camera taking 120 film
; he was an early and consistent user of Kodachrome
color film.
When in 1989 Jim Stiles began publishing the Canyon Country Zephyr (motto: "Clinging Hopelessly to the Past Since 1989") in Moab, Utah
, among the regular features were Ringer's photos and his recollections of the west in the earlier twentieth century. Although Ringer died on December 11, 1998, his photos and memories continue to be a regular feature of the Zephyr and its website.
A section of the documentary Brave New West from High Plains Films includes footage of Ringer shot in the late 80s and early 90s. In the film, Stiles sums up the uniqueness of Ringer's photography: "While a tourist might take a picture of Grand Arch, Herb would take a photo of the tourist taking the photo of Grand Arch. He was a true archivist of the changing West."
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
photographer who chronicled the rural and wilderness areas of the Western United States
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
and Canada
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
.
Ringer was born in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Not long after, the Ringer family moved to the Mt. Auburn
Mount Auburn Historic District
Mount Auburn Historic District is located in the Mount Auburn neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio. It extends along both sides of Auburn Avenue roughly between Ringold Street and William H. Taft Road....
section of Cincinnati.
Ringer moved to Reno, Nevada in 1939, and began his life-long practice of traveling to explore the west, making journal entries about his travels while taking what are now estimated to be almost 10,000 photographs. Ringer from the start used 35 mm cameras but later bought a camera taking 120 film
120 film
120 is a film format for still photography introduced by Kodak for their Brownie No. 2 in 1901. It was originally intended for amateur photography but was later superseded in this role by 135 film...
; he was an early and consistent user of Kodachrome
Kodachrome
Kodachrome is the trademarked brand name of a type of color reversal film that was manufactured by Eastman Kodak from 1935 to 2009.-Background:...
color film.
When in 1989 Jim Stiles began publishing the Canyon Country Zephyr (motto: "Clinging Hopelessly to the Past Since 1989") in Moab, Utah
Moab, Utah
Moab is a city in Grand County, in eastern Utah, in the western United States. The population was 4,779 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat and largest city in Grand County. Moab hosts a large number of tourists every year, mostly visitors to the nearby Arches and Canyonlands National Parks...
, among the regular features were Ringer's photos and his recollections of the west in the earlier twentieth century. Although Ringer died on December 11, 1998, his photos and memories continue to be a regular feature of the Zephyr and its website.
A section of the documentary Brave New West from High Plains Films includes footage of Ringer shot in the late 80s and early 90s. In the film, Stiles sums up the uniqueness of Ringer's photography: "While a tourist might take a picture of Grand Arch, Herb would take a photo of the tourist taking the photo of Grand Arch. He was a true archivist of the changing West."