The Journeys of Harry Crosby: 4 min. preview to a new film

Quote: Originally posted by David K

Thank you Discover Baja Travel Club for promoting this! At 92 years old, Harry W. Crosby is a local hero, and soon-to-be national treasure. Though largely unknown outside the U.S. Southwest and Mexico, Harry is almost single-handedly responsible for introducing the culture, history, and magic of the Baja California Peninsula to audiences on both sides of the border. Cinewest Productions is collaborating with the San Diego History Center to raise funds to complete The Journeys of Harry Crosby, a one hour documentary that will bring to life the work of this pioneering photographer, explorer and historian to international audiences through Public Television, museums, and online distribution. The Journeys of Harry Crosby is being directed by award-winning filmmaker Isaac Artenstein, produced by David Richardson, with Sergio Ulloa as Director of Photography. Harry’s journeys have resulted in six classic books that include, "The Cave Paintings of Baja California," "Last of the Californios" and "Antigua California." His writings and photographs have captured the history, geography and people of this unique region, while vividly demonstrating the centuries old inter-relationship between the Californias. The Journeys of Harry Crosby will take audiences through majestic landscapes, ancient cave paintings, colonial missions, and historic ranchos in one of the most bio diverse regions in the world. If you want to support the post-production fund and be part of this screen journey, contact Director Isaac Artenstein at: jhcbaja@gmail.com Participate and be a guest of the filmmakers at the big-screen premiere in San Diego before its national airing on PBS. https://vimeo.com/284022025 "Harry W. Crosby is a national treasure. Though he remains largely unknown outside the U.S. Southwest, he has been almost single-handedly responsible for introducing the culture and history of the Baja California Peninsula to modern U.S. audiences." [Edited on 9-5-2019 by David K]

I sent a email to the producer last week. He must be very busy.

I hope they release the doc soon. I will definitely see it. We have a good friend who gifted us a signed photo he took in the early 90's of an Arce in front of Cueva Flechas. I was fascinated to hear his stories of several trips into the canyons that he took over course of a decade to photograph the caves and the people of the area. I bought a used copy of Cave Paintings of Baja California and pored over it and was determined to see them. I could only imagine the lengths Harry Crosby went to in pursuit of documenting and thus helping to preserve and promote the significance of the paintings.

Over the years I heard from and read about others doing the trip and was envious. Flash forward to March 2018, thanks to the planning and goading of Bajaboy and familia, I found myself riding a mule for 5+ hours down some hairy trails with a small group of friends and family and camping in the shadows of the majestic canyon walls. We spent three+ days scampering up and down cliffs and into caves and it was an incredible experience. Each night I would bring out the book and re-read Harry Crosby's recollections of his first trips into the area and the caves we were seeing first hand.

It was a sublime experience that I will never forget. I am so glad that I was able to do it and highly recommend it for anyone with an adventurous streak who appreciates natural beauty and exploration.

Quote: Originally posted by David K

It was fun for all of us to meet Harry at the Pyramid Resort, too.

Quote: Originally posted by del mar

Quote: Originally posted by David K   It was fun for all of us to meet Harry at the Pyramid Resort, too. David could you comment on this.....any truth or simply BS? Harry W. Crosby, over many years, has identified David Kiers writings and viewpoints as "less than a child level intelligence travel writer". "David Kier and his misguided book about 'old missions' isn't worth my time". Over the many years of interviews, Crosby went further during lunch conversations with friends under a friendly tree at a local La Jolla coffee shop. "David Kier glosses over the destruction of Baja California", "indigenous slavery and the deaths of human beings associated with the Spanish pacification of Mexico. By doing so, he promotes the continued destruction of the people of Baja". Harry said recently, "the travel promotion of David Kier and anyone supporting him, are guilty of the continued genocide of the people of Mexico".

Where do you find this stuff... sound like another JJJ post?

Here's a photo when I chatted with Harry in 2003 taken by someone also at the Pyramid Resort for the first book signing. We chatted about my drive to Mission Santa María. I showed him my photos and he couldn't believe I got my 2001 Tacoma there!


L to R: Jimmy Smith (The Grinning Gargoyle), Harry Crosby, me.

A few months before, I was at Harry's new book presentation at the Serra Museum. We talked some more and I brought my other Harry Crosby books down to San Diego for him to sign.





As for the rest of your comments, it would be such a lesser person to disparage anyone like that. I will say that the 2012 Old Missions book was no great work... I simply added some Baja mission details to it but its author Max Kurillo insisted I be added on as a co-author. It did quite well, but I wanted my own 100% work book on just the Baja missions, so I wrote my book: Baja California Land of Missions, in 2016.

Sunbelt (who published Harry's last books) liked it so well, they wanted to distribute it and they do not distribute books that are questionable or don't meet historian's approval. I don't know if Harry had anything to do with approving my book, but it is now in its 7th printing and I recently took 100 more copies down to Sunbelt as they wanted more.

Oh, by the way, I may be going to Harry's home soon... is there anything you want me to ask him?

hey back up hotrod, "David could you comment on this.....any truth or simply BS?" is my ONLY comment, a google search of harry crosby brought me to this site and I politely asked for a comment. these AREN"T my comments and no this isn't jjj!
so get back to your palm tree nonsense and forget I ever asked!

Quote: Originally posted by del mar

Quote: Originally posted by David K   It was fun for all of us to meet Harry at the Pyramid Resort, too. Harry W. Crosby, over many years, has identified David Kiers writings and viewpoints as "less than a child level intelligence travel writer". "David Kier and his misguided book about 'old missions' isn't worth my time". "David Kier glosses over the destruction of Baja California", "indigenous slavery and the deaths of human beings associated with the Spanish pacification of Mexico. By doing so, he promotes the continued destruction of the people of Baja". Harry said recently, "the travel promotion of David Kier and anyone supporting him, are guilty of the continued genocide of the people of Mexico".

Quote: Originally posted by David K

Here's a photo when I chatted with Harry in 2003 taken by someone also at the Pyramid Resort for the first book signing. We chatted about my drive to Mission Santa María. I showed him my photos and he couldn't believe I got my 2001 Tacoma there! L to R: Jimmy Smith (The Grinning Gargoyle), Harry Crosby, me.

Quote: Originally posted by Pacifico

Quote: Originally posted by del mar   Quote: Originally posted by David K   It was fun for all of us to meet Harry at the Pyramid Resort, too. Harry W. Crosby, over many years, has identified David Kiers writings and viewpoints as "less than a child level intelligence travel writer". "David Kier and his misguided book about 'old missions' isn't worth my time". "David Kier glosses over the destruction of Baja California", "indigenous slavery and the deaths of human beings associated with the Spanish pacification of Mexico. By doing so, he promotes the continued destruction of the people of Baja". Harry said recently, "the travel promotion of David Kier and anyone supporting him, are guilty of the continued genocide of the people of Mexico". Del Mar, I tried to find this quote on the internet and could not. Can you help me out and please cite where you found this? Thank you...

Quote: Originally posted by David K

Quote: Originally posted by Pacifico   Quote: Originally posted by del mar   Quote: Originally posted by David K   It was fun for all of us to meet Harry at the Pyramid Resort, too. Harry W. Crosby, over many years, has identified David Kiers writings and viewpoints as "less than a child level intelligence travel writer". "David Kier and his misguided book about 'old missions' isn't worth my time". "David Kier glosses over the destruction of Baja California", "indigenous slavery and the deaths of human beings associated with the Spanish pacification of Mexico. By doing so, he promotes the continued destruction of the people of Baja". Harry said recently, "the travel promotion of David Kier and anyone supporting him, are guilty of the continued genocide of the people of Mexico". Del Mar, I tried to find this quote on the internet and could not. Can you help me out and please cite where you found this? Thank you... It is on the Internet, I just saw it this morning... the source is Mike Overcast (the baja ****** guy). If you recall all the made-up stuff that came from him in years past... then these things said about me become even more worthless. As for my book, it simply and accurately tells the story of the discovery of California (Baja) and how Spain used the missions to occupy the land and its people. I detail each mission with who was there and where it was, with the correct names and dates... This is something most other books have not done or done correctly. I also have new facts on the Dominican missions never before published in a book and correct honest mistakes made by authors who did not have the newer discovered data. Finally, I talk about the lost missions... I think the book is both educational and entertaining. Apparently so do others because it is still selling far beyond my expectations.

Thank you paranewbi! Very kind of you to jump in. I hope you found them both informative and interesting to read and have with you in Baja, as well as at home.

I guess it would be fair to counter the negative comments of this thread with a plug for my book?

Holiday shopping idea for Baja fans...

Now in its seventh printing with 2019 updates and photos: www.oldmissions.com (signed and free U.S. shipping)

Quote: Originally posted by del mar

Quote: Originally posted by David K   It was fun for all of us to meet Harry at the Pyramid Resort, too. David could you comment on this.....any truth or simply BS? Harry W. Crosby, over many years, has identified David Kiers writings and viewpoints as "less than a child level intelligence travel writer". "David Kier and his misguided book about 'old missions' isn't worth my time". Over the many years of interviews, Crosby went further during lunch conversations with friends under a friendly tree at a local La Jolla coffee shop. "David Kier glosses over the destruction of Baja California", "indigenous slavery and the deaths of human beings associated with the Spanish pacification of Mexico. By doing so, he promotes the continued destruction of the people of Baja". Harry said recently, "the travel promotion of David Kier and anyone supporting him, are guilty of the continued genocide of the people of Mexico".