Writers’ Wednesday – part 2 – Reno Now and Then II – Jan 8th
Nevada Historical Society
Writers’ Wednesday
Wednesday, January 8th, 2020
5:00 – 5:30 pm – Wine and Cheese reception
5:30 – 6:30 pm – Lecture
Back by popular Demand!!!
Neal and Jerry have so much to say about how Reno has changed over the years they needed another night!
Join us for Part two of Reno Now And Then II
Reno is one of the few towns in Nevada that was never a boom-and-bust mining camp. Sitting astride the Truckee River and the main road from the northern California mining camps, in its early days it offered travelers crude shelter and a bridge across the river. With the coming of the first transcontinental railroad in 1868, it was also situated along a major cross-country route. Positioned in this manner, Reno became a thriving distribution center for ranching and mining, by way of the river, roads and railroads. It retains some of that character today.
Through Historic Photos and Contemporary re-photography of selected locations, the authors of this book hope to illustrate the tension between growth and stability that characterizes Reno. Over fifteen years ago at a gathering of the Westerners Corral, Neal Cobb and Jerry Fenwick formed a partnership dedicated to presenting history in an interesting, informative and accurate manner. After presenting their Reno Now and Then Slide presentations over the years, the decision was made to create a book with the same title to include content from their presentations as well as new photos and historical detail. It is the hope of the authors that long time Reno residents will remember fondly some of the scenes depicted, that newcomers will find a better understanding of the town they now call home, and that those who have not yet visited Reno will gain some insight into the community through these images.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
“Neal and Jerry are Reno boys of a certain age who grew up, using that phrase loosely, in our town during the zenith of its days. They share a love for Reno, and a facility to note and enjoy elements of growing up here that were less-seen and retained by others, and better yet with the further ability to recall and weave some wonderful tales of the city. As caprice would have it, both of their families owned an art- or photography- related business in the heart of downtown Reno. To those two stores each day after school, pedaled Jerry and Neal, where they became involved in their respective parents’ businesses, and came to know the nuances of graphic art. If it happened in Reno, Fenwick’s parents painted it, while Cobb’s parents photographed it, and together they amassed an incredible inventory of local and rural views – on both Kodachrome, and oil or pastel. The talents, recollections and visual inventory of Neal Cobb and Jerry Fenwick were in pleasing confluence in the earlier book, and once again meet in this later one.” (Excerpted from the foreword to Reno Now And Then II written by Karl Breckenridge.)
The Writers’ Wednesday Lecture Series, held the second Wednesday of each month, features a different author who takes part in a book signing, a presentation and a question-and-answer session with the audience. A wine and cheese reception precedes the lecture.
The intent of the program is to highlight writers who specifically focus on Nevada, the Great Basin, or the West in general. The authors talk about the content of their books but also share details about the creative process.