Harry Crosby and Baja California's Magnificent Cave Paintings

Some years ago, as part of my research for my book on Baja California, Miraculous Air, I had the honor of interviewing the great photographer, and cave art and Jesuit mission historian Harry W. Crosby. I have more respect than I can say for his work: his deep research, painstaking documentation, and splendid photographs, have fundamentally changed and vastly enriched our understanding of the peninsula. Among his many works are: Tijuana 1964; Antigua California; and The Cave Paintings of California. Crosby has kept a low profile in recent years, but tomorrow, Thursday, February 24, he will be speaking in San Diego about the cave art. If you are in the area, or anywhere near the area, be sure to go.

Here is the announcement that came to me from his publisher, Sunbelt:

As a writer and as a historian, Harry W. Crosby’s extensive explorations and archival research have established him as one of the foremost authorities on the colorful past of the Californias. On February 24, 2011 at 6:00 pm, he will make a rare appearance at Adventure 16 to share the lifetime of knowledge he possesses on the pre-historic cave murals of the Baja California Peninsula. His presentation will be based on his highly acclaimed book The Cave Paintings of Baja California.

A celebrated octogenarian, Harry Crosby rarely schedules public events to promote his many publications. For this occasion, he has partnered with good friend John D. Mead, President of Adventure 16, in hopes that they might remind travelers of the lately overlooked beauty that can be found south of the border. Discover Baja travel agency will also be in attendance to educate on safe travel practices through Mexico.

The evening will begin with a wine and cheese reception, followed by Crosby’s presentation, and concluding with book-signing. Several specialty books on Baja California will also be available at Adventure 16 exclusively during the event including classics like Backroad Baja, which contains several maps that are one-of-a kind, and The Camino Real and the Missions of Baja California, which is partially authored by Harry Crosby.

Crosby’s presentation will include a slide show with pictures from the dramatic cave murals of the Baja California peninsula. His research on the topic began in 1967 when he was commissioned to provide the photographs for The Call to California, requiring him to ride over 600 miles on mule back on Baja’s El Camino Real. The trip piqued his curiosity and led to another decade of interviewing ranchers of the remote mountains. Exploring with local guides he found over 200 previously undiscovered murals and rock art sites, which he documented in The Cave Paintings of Baja California.

1997 saw the publication of a completely revised and expanded edition of Crosby’s The Cave Paintings of Baja California, which garnered praise from readers, critics, and book clubs. The books popularity led to subsequent reprints in 2001 and 2010. His years of field and archival research into Early California history also yielded such works as Antigua California, the now standard history of Spanish California’s first 70 years, and Last of the Californios. Released in 2001 were his first novel, Portrait of Paloma, and a book of his early photography, Tijuana: 1964.

WHO: Harry W. Crosby
WHAT: Presenting on the Cave Paintings of Baja California
WHEN: Thursday, February 24, 2011 @ 6:00 pm
WHERE: Adventure 16 4620 Alvarado Canyon Road San Diego, CA 92120-4390

---> No guest-blog post this Wednesday, but be sure to check the archive which includes posts on Baja California and/ or Mexico by Stephanie Elizondo-Greist, Michael Hogan, David Lida, Graham Mackintosh, Greg Niemann, Isabella Tree, and many more.

Guest-blogger Jennifer Silva Redmond's 5 Favorite Baja California Writers's Websites

Baja California is that Mexican peninsula which begins at Tijuana and ends nearly 1,000 miles south at Los Cabos. (The photo was taken by my sister, Alice, and shows the Sea of Cortez on the right, Pacific on the left.) Guest-blogging today is my amiga and fellow Baja aficionada, writer (her work is in Latinos in Lotusland, the new anthology edited by Daniel Olivas) and editor-in-chief of Sunbelt Publications, Jennifer Silva Redmond. As Jennifer is one of the world's experts on this magnificent finger of the world, it is a special honor indeed to have her guest-blogging here today. Over to you, Jennifer!

Here are my top five websites of those who write about Baja California-- its history, natural history, people, places, even cuisine... To limit it to 5, I’ve assumed you all know Madam Mayo’s wonderful Miraculous Air (mandatory for Baja-lovers), and my amigo Graham Mackintosh’s site-- he was a recent guest blogger here. My list is confined to those Baja authors whose sites yield goodies: downloads, excerpts, recipes, links, and more! (Disclosure: Yes, many of these sites do link to Sunbelt, but what can I say? We’re where people go for new and classic writing about Baja!) I’ve listed them A-Z, to avoid any hint of favoritism... Enjoy!

#1. Bruce Berger Wrote one of my all-time favorite Baja California books, Almost An Island, and won the 1990 Western States Book Award for Creative Nonfiction, for The Telling Distance, among other awards. Berger is an author and poet, journalist, activist for environmental conservation—and a concert pianist! His site would be worthwhile just for this poem and excerpt; but it also has some great links, like this one to Planeta Peninsula, co-publisher of Oasis of Stone, with stunning photos by Miguel Angel de La Cueva.

#2. Harry W. Crosby Author of the best-known and most lauded books on Baja (after Steinbeck!). Those who love Baja California may already own The Cave Paintings of Baja California and Antigua California but many don’t know his latest history (of the trek to San Diego in 1769) Gateway to Alta California. Two of the coolest links on his site are easy to miss, the UCSD photo collections gallery and text, and the outtakes and excerpts (like DVDs “extras”) from his novel, Portrait of Paloma. Also check out the Crosby Collection on the UCLA Rock Art site.

#3. Ann Hazard Her two “Baja Magic” cookbooks are synonymous with Baja California cuisine. Everyone should have a copy of the first Cooking with Baja Magic cookbook, but you may not have numero dos yet! You’ll find that and Agave Sunsets on her site, which is a veritable treasure trove of fun stuff-- new stories and articles, a few excerpts from the new cookbook and her novels, unique photo-art by Terry her talented partner, and best of all, lots of wonderful easy-to-make recipes for yummy comida y bebidas!

#4. Michael Mercer Love his books? Think he should be censored? Either way, he’s a helluva writer! I read Mexicoland, his first collection of stories back in 1998, and said his writing was “broadly comic to subtly disturbing, but always fascinating.” Nothing has changed. This story about Osama Bin Laden is from his book Bandidos (which caused quite an uproar, including being banned locally) you can read all about it on the site; also available is a talk he gave in Los Cabos in 2006 and some witty short pieces like this one about Costco.

#5. Daniel Reveles Beloved Mexican Author who made Tecate Famous (see Tecate on Wikipedia!). Señor Reveles’ whimsical tales have been compared to O’Henry, Twain, and other humorists, but his stories can bring a tear, too. His website includes an audio download of him telling the story of “Señor Frog” from his new collection of stories Guacamole Dip, excerpts from the new book and Tequila, Lemon and Salt, a downloadable reading group guide in PDF form, and even a slideshow of Tecate!

There are so many more-- publications like Baja Breeze (6 full pdf issues to download!) and Baja Traveler, authors who update their sites regularly, like Greg Niemann of Baja Legends fame, and David K’s eclectic, far-ranging, and photo-filled Viva Baja which defies description but is so addicting! A site that covers all of Mexico, but has Baja travel stories, book reviews, info, and articles in Mexico Premiere (check out their social network, called Zocalo).

---Jennifer Redmond
www.sunbeltbooks.com

--->For the archive of Madam Mayo guest-blog posts, click here.
Up next Wednesday: novelist Gayle Brandeis.