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
Thanks, David. I will miss him, but I have most of his books and went to previous lectures. He does wonderful research and is very informative. I
have one of the cave painting books in spanish by Harry Hambleton who was the photographer.David K - 1-28-2011 at 08:31 PM
Yes, and to think it began as a job taking pictures for the 200th anniversary of Junipero Serra's walk to San Diego in 1769!David K - 2-4-2011 at 12:09 AM
Anyone else meet or know Harry?David K - 2-14-2011 at 07:38 PM
Bump/ reminder... Feb. 24 in San Diego...
Being a Thursday night and 100 miles round trip from home, don't think Baja Angel and I will make it... Hope to hear from those that do how it all
went!Eli - 2-15-2011 at 05:03 AM
I am sorry I will miss this, he is one of my heros. SaraDavid K - 2-15-2011 at 08:10 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by Eli
I am sorry I will miss this, he is one of my heros. Sara
I have been so very lucky to meet so many 'Baja heros' myself.. those that forged their way down the peninsula before paved roads and took the time to
document their adventures so the rest of the world could read and learn what it was like back then.
Eli, can you tell how thrilled I was to be standing next to two of them at the same time... your dad and Harry!??ArvadaGeorge - 2-15-2011 at 12:59 PM
Louise And i plan on being thereBornFisher - 2-15-2011 at 01:11 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Anyone else meet or know Harry?
I attended a rock art symposium many many moons ago and Harry gave a slide show. VERY impressive presentation and what a wonderful man he is!Baja Bucko - 2-15-2011 at 02:31 PM
I first met Harry in abt 1972. I was nuts abt his traveling El Camino Real and I was at a point in my life that there was a Y in the road of my life.
He had an "office" in downtown La Jolla so I met him there. A great discussion followed....
Through the years as I have put the miles in riding ECR (and doing Baja California genealogy pretty intensely) I have visited with him at his home.
His wife is such a sweety and oh my God, his research room is to die for! About 4 years ago Eve Ewing and I and a couple of academics met with him at
his home and followed the visit with a late lunch in La Jolla. I toasted and roasted Harry and placed all of the blame on him for all the years I
have spent festering over El Camino Real! I plainly toasted him and said..."Harry-It's ALL YOUR FAULT!!!"
Hangin' with these oldtimers is such an honor because once they are gone, that book closes.David K - 2-15-2011 at 07:09 PM
The Call to California was a favorite book of mine growing up (Harry was the photographer for it)... and ever since I dreamed of traveling the El
Camino Real... Baja Bucko is actually doing it in a big way... I have only hiked a few miles of it a a couple places... but had fun following most of
it on Google Earth (which is all posted on Nomad) from Santa Maria south to Loreto.astrobaja - 2-23-2011 at 09:35 AM
We're bummed. can't get a hold of our house-sitter. My Wife especially wanted to see her uncle again, he is after all getting up there in years!
:>(astrobaja - 2-23-2011 at 12:05 PM
Yay, finally got a hold of our house sitter, he said he can come! So looks like we can go after all!
Hope to have breakfast with him in La Jolla friday morning.
BTW his daughter Bronle is a superb artist, she just had some of her works at an exibit in SD recently!
Heres her website:
Originally posted by Don Jorge
If they give out name tags maybe we should put a BN in a corner and we can say hello.
Tell you what I'll do - and let me know if you have a better suggestion... I'll bring a clipboard for a Nomad sign-in, along with some red name badges
I have, and will wear a BajaNomad t-shirt. So, when you get there, look for me, and can share with each of you which Nomads are there (or at least
that I've had a chance to say hello to).
Thoughts?David K - 2-23-2011 at 03:23 PM
Wow, this is a great response... Curt63 - 2-23-2011 at 03:27 PM
I really wish I could make it. Something came up.
Cheers, CurtBajaNomad - 2-25-2011 at 12:31 AM
Nice night. Actually, I'd call it a special night. Not many opportunities to hear from Mr. Crosby in a public setting such as this - and one never
knows how many more opportunities there might be to have the honor.
And I got a chance to say hello to a few Nomads tonight who also took advantage of such a rare opportunity:
- Don Jorge
- Wilderone
- ArvadaGeorge
- Astrobaja
- Oggie
- Squarecircle
Great to see you all tonight!
John Mead, President of Adventure 16 introduced Mr. Crosby, and said it was a record-breaking night for them, with 120 people in attendance. He said
he told the staff to setup for 50, and that the most they'd ever had previously was 115.
Hugh and Carol Kramer were there representing Discover Baja, as well as Jennifer Redmond (and Cara/Kara?) there with Sunbelt Publishing.
Harry was non-stop autographing books before his introduction. My son and I arrived early, and I'd guess he was signing books and talking to people
for 45-60 minutes (or more) straight. Wow.BajaNomad - 2-25-2011 at 12:38 AM
RIGHT to LEFT: Astrobaja, Don Jorge, Juan Vargas and wife.
The Vargas' came with Astrobaja (and his wife Pamela). Juan Vargas works with - and I believe I was told, may head (or manage) - the Condor project
in the Sierra San Pedro Martir.
Mr. Crosby at the mic....BajaNomad - 2-25-2011 at 12:43 AM
A little Q & A. It had been a capacity crowd - but here, some people had either left, or were having a look around the store just before
leaving..BajaNomad - 2-25-2011 at 01:00 AM
Sunbelt Publishing.BajaNomad - 2-25-2011 at 01:05 AM
Hugh Kramer (right) of Discover Baja Travel Club.BajaNomad - 2-25-2011 at 01:17 AM
.wilderone - 2-25-2011 at 09:59 AM
That was a special presentation. Mr. Crosby described how murals of this particular technique, occurs in several places stretching over 200 miles,
and that they were made over a period of 1000 years. That fact is especially fascinating given that the pictograph "technique" (Crosby called it the
"conventions") were not deviated from. More particularly, the manner in which the figures are outlined and then contain no detail within the figure;
certain figures appear in the same position regardless of where the figure is found (e.g., a fish is depicted as you would hang it after being
caught). He said they've been tested for age several times and the consensus is that the murals are between 5000 - 8000 years old, and are not
attributed to any of the three major cultures known in Baja CA. It is not known who created them.David K - 2-25-2011 at 11:13 AM
Sorry I couldn't be there to meet you Don Jorge... as well as AstroBaja and others...
Perhaps the secret is somewhere in one of the many beautiful palm canyons of Baja?astrobaja - 2-26-2011 at 06:07 PM
Really nice to meet a few of the Nomads here! Harry gave a rare and superb talk! Heres hoping theres one or two books left in him!
We were a bit nervous about the weather we might encounter on our way back, indeed as I write this we alreay have over an inch of snow but it
certainly was worth the effort!
The next morning we ate breakfast with Harry his Wife Joanne and his daughters Rieston and Bronle. My Wife Pamela got to spend some precious time
with her favorite Uncle! We also brought along Juan Vargas and Catalina, Juan and Harry went over the cave painting book in order to lend an
ornithologists eye to what some of the bird images might be. Juan knows all raptors and of course Condors and their forms. He thought one or 2 could
possibly have been condor images.
hopefully one day he may come back to Baja and pay us a visit!
