A new title from the book division of Arizona Highways focuses on the senator behind the camera and his body of work documenting the Southwest.
With an election coming up, it’s a natural time to revisit the lives of politicians who’ve come before — especially those who distinguished themselves with achievements beyond the wranglings of Republican and Democrat.
We’ve written about Barry Goldwater’s photography before on the occasion of an exhibition of the former Arizona senator’s work in 2016, not coincidentally another election year.
The occasion this time around is the publication of a new book: Photographs by Barry M. Goldwater: The Arizona Highways Collection.
From the press materials:
“Since 1925, Arizona Highways has been sharing the history, culture, and natural beauty of Arizona with readers around the world. And along the way, it has featured some of the most talented writers and photographers in the industry. Among them is Barry M. Goldwater.
“Although he's best known nationally as a U.S. senator and 1964 presidential nominee, Barry M. Goldwater’s love of politics may have been surpassed by his passion for photography. He spent a lifetime carrying around a camera, documenting the people and places of his beloved state of Arizona, and, since 1939, hundreds of his photographs have appeared on the pages of Arizona Highways.
“‘Mr. Goldwater was one of our early photographers,’ said Arizona Highways editor Robert Stieve. ‘And whenever we needed an obscure photo, either a remote landscape somewhere in the state, or a portrait from Navajoland, he was there for us. His history in our magazine is long, and we’re excited to have a sample of that history in our new book. As you’ll see, his black-and-white imagery stands the test of time.’
“‘Many years ago, Goldwater said, ‘My photography has taken me over, literally, every mile of the Southwest, over both poles and every major country on the globe. But it is to Arizona that I turn for my inspiration and what I think has been my best work. It is my desire to share with future generations the Southwest that I love.’
“Many of those photographs appear in this stunning coffee table book, along with profiles of the senator.”
Photographs by Barry M. Goldwater: The Arizona Highways Collection, by Robert Stieve and Alison Goldwater Ross, is published by Arizona Highways; 128 pages, $29.99. The book is currently for sale at Amazon and goldwaterfoundation.org.
Photography: Images courtesy the artist