Past to Present

Aspen Journey - Past to Present tells the story of the transformation of a pure and pristine valley into a 21st-century mecca for culture and powder skiing. Aspen, Colorado, is like no other place! An eclectic assortment of graphics, including antique prints, historical photos, old paper memorabilia, and vintage postcards, illustrate this coffee table gift book. Inside this book, you will find photographs documenting the life, work, and pastimes of the people who settled in Aspen. These stories belong to daring prospectors, brave business entrepreneurs, and ordinary people who wanted to call Aspen' home.' They arrived during the mining boom but stayed to sustain Aspen through The Quiet Years. Perhaps they were enchanted by the indescribable essence of Aspen, Colorado – the things that set Aspen apart from so many other cities and towns across the U.S. The prospectors and miners used skiing as a helpful method of getting around in the snow. Skiing later became a recreation for a small, isolated community blessed with powder snow and soaring mountain peaks. As time progressed, skiing became Aspen's golden future of prosperity. There were always believers in Aspen's future as a ski destination. Members of the 10th Mountain Division helped make this a reality. When Walter and Elizabeth Paepcke created the Aspen Skiing Corporation in 1946, Friedl Pfeiffer became their partner and brought in additional members of the 10th Mountain Division to help. The Paepckes developed Aspen into a summer cultural haven as well. An extra: Inside, you will find 16 postcards to pull out, send to friends, or share with family. In addition, there is an 8-page fold-out timeline.