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Traces of Texas @TracesofTexas on x 145.9K followers
Created: 2025-07-24 11:00:02 UTC
A moody, evocative scene in Marfa circa 1920. That gorgeous West Texas sky, the shadowy landscape, the Eclipse wind pumps ... perfection.
This was taken by Frank Duncan, a talented photographer who settled in Marfa in 1916 and spent decades documenting life in the Big Bend region. Originally from Missouri, he had traveled extensively—through Alaska, Canada, and Mexico—before putting down roots in Far West Texas. I think it's fascinating that a town like little ol' Marfa, all by itself out there in the big lonesome, could support a working photographer. Once in Marfa, he founded the Duncan Photography Company and began producing thousands of images that captured the raw beauty, working life, and character of the area during the early 20th century.
Judging from the photos in the Marfa and Presidio County Museum's archive, the source of this image, his work included sweeping desert landscapes, portraits of ranchers and their families, soldiers stationed at Camp Marfa, and everyday moments from the town’s social and civic life. He had a particular gift for panoramic images like this one. He also photographed cattle drives, chuck wagons, military jazz bands and dusty street scenes in Marfa itself. I think he had a pretty good eye for composition. Frank left an invaluable visual archive—more than XXXXX glass plate and film negatives—that now resides in the Marfa and Presidio County Museum.
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