Last Signs of the Frontier engages you in a visual journey of roadside signs dating back from the early mining days of the 1900's to present. Photographer Andy Marquez says "I think that in 10 years, 80% of these signs will be gone. They are disappearing from Colorado's roadsides at an amazing rate." The result is an astounding record of the past as seen through the eyes of Colorado's foremost fine art photographers.
In this photojournalistic collection, Andy Marquez hypnotizes you with nostalgic memories and wonder. He creates images that take you on a journey through time.
Searching through 300 towns and traveling over 5,000 miles of Colorado's primary and secondary roads, Andy spent three and one-half years building this rare collection. Black and white photos reveal 109 images of aging signs that reflect the rapidly diminishing nostalgic past.
We hope you enjoy this treasure for your coffee table or even as a traveling companion. Be sure to pass it along to your children's children.
Colorado-based photographer Andy Marquez has traveled much of this planet creating breathtaking images that cover thousands of walls worldwide. Whether it's facing a huge snow covered bison in the dead of a Yellowstone winter, or seeking out romantic castles in faraway lands, Andy's vision is a gift to us all.
Andy is from Bayside, New York and has lived in Littleton, Colorado since 1985. In the late sixties he made 8mm movies with his high school buddies. On his 18th birthday, his parents gave him a Minolta SRT 101 single lens reflex camera, which he used in college to photograph musical stars such as Gordon Lightfoot, James Taylor and Judy Collins. His only formal photography training was a two semester course he took as part of his Journalism major at the University of South Carolins, where he graduated in 1973.
From the mid-eighties to early nineties Andy pounded the art show circuit doing shows nationwide establishing a solid customer base. In 1992, he and his wife Teresa, now parents of three, opened their first gallery in Historic Downtown Littleton, in a building which once was the First National Bank in the 1920's.
Since then, Andy has photographed extensively overseas creating images from five continents. Producing his first book, "Last Signs of the Frontier," has been a real thrill for him. He is proud to make this important contribution to his home state of Colorado.