Oklahoma has an excellent photographic record, largely because the twin
territories developed along the same general timeline as modern
photography itself. Historic Photos of Oklahoma is not an illustrated
history of Oklahoma, nor is it an attempt at a visual chronology of the
state. Rather, the photographs included here tell the story of this
diverse group of people called Oklahomans as witnessed in their faces,
the homes they cherished, and the streets they traveled.
Just as viewing a succession of school photos reveals the periods of
beauty and awkwardness, innocence and maturity, and hardship and joy in
a child's life, the reader of this book will see the tragedy of Indian
removal, the exuberance of land runs, the shame of segregation, the
anguish of the Depression, and the optimism for the future in Oklahoma.
In between are glimpses of how we used to live, work, and play in the
forty-sixth state of the Union.