May 31, 1914 I asked a man, “How often is the sky this blue?” He only smiled and walked away. I hopped on the trolley and returned to a busy Union Train Station. Women in colorful hats and dresses brightened the waiting area. Most of the men held fishing rods in one hand and picnic […]
Welcome to the Wild West
It is said, a woman never steps into a river twice, for she is not the same woman nor is it the same river. The ebb and flow of life brought me the passion to write. After a career in commercial photography, I could not leave the stimulating the imagination, black and white photography behind. Thus, I have created books of words and pictures. I hope you will enjoy these historical stories and share my website with friends and associates.
Then & Now, published in 2009 with a grant from the Colorado Historical Fund shows the built environment of Steamboat Springs from the 1880’s to the 21st Century with the town’s history recorded by decades and photographs of buildings then and today. It is a coffee table book in its third printing.
$34.99
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Victims of Love, Banished in 1914 combines archival era images, Colorado history and a romantic love story of two British immigrants meeting in a thriving wild west town, Steamboat Springs. Heartbreak, adventure, danger, fly fishing, and a quest for women’s freedom of choice builds a dialog driven plot of a gentleman, formerly of the servant class and an undaunted, privileged lady struggling with the stigma of tuberculosis. Passion persists in a rigid social structure resisting a woman’s right to free speech.
$25.00
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Then and Now - A History of Steamboat Springs, Colorado presents a series of images that immerse the reader in currents of twentieth century history. Ken Proper's architectural photographs delineate the physical essence of a small western town's birth and development. Harriet Freiberger's words complete a larger picture, connecting people and events in Steamboat Springs with America's progress toward maturity.
Recent Blog Posts
Decoration DayRead More
May 30, 1914 I awoke to this warm Saturday morning with a foggy brain, which felt like it navigated through mashed potatoes. My breakfast waiter suggested a prairie oyster, the “hair of the dog that bit you” cure. The fifty-fifty beer and tomato juice combination with horseradish, diced jalapenos, Worcestershire sauce and a raw egg […]
Eastern Colorado - A important acquaintanceRead More
***** At 5 o’clock I treated myself to the luxury of hot and cold water flowing on demand into my bathroom sink basin and washed my face. It refreshed me, and I spoke words of encouragement to my reflection in the mirror. The self-support did not last long. I simply could not concentrate on the […]
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Ken Proper is a career commercial photographer in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Since 2009, he has been a frequent contributor of feature stories and photography in both American and Southwest Fly-Fishing magazines. He co-authored, also in 2009, Then and Now: A History of Steamboat Springs with Harriet Freiberger. The first and second editions sold out and is now in a third, which continues to sell well.
Currently, Ken Proper self-published a historical fiction novel, A Diary by Victims in Love: Banished to Steamboat Springs in 1914. The love story is weaved with archival, early Twentieth Century photographs and illustrations. The books are available on this website and in Steamboat bookstores.