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 is like no other place! An eclectic assortment of graphics, including antique prints, historical photos, old paper memorabilia, and vintage postcards, illustrate this metamorphosis.
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 – 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; it finally became a reality when Walter and Elizabeth Paepcke and their partners created the Aspen Skiing Company in 1946. The Paepckes developed Aspen into a summer cultural haven as well. Existing outside of the mainstream, Aspen has managed to rise to mythic proportions. No one can explain Aspen, but everybody wants to be there.

An extra: Inside, you will find 16 postcards to pull out, send to friends, or share with family. They will help you to remember Aspen.

About the book

• Size 9,44″ x 12,40″
• 164 pages illustrated in color
• 8-page folding timeline
• Hardcover with transparent jacket
• 16 pull-out postcards included

Unit price: $85.00

Susan Dalton
Author

Susan Dalton is a native of Michigan, but she has been transplanted to the town of Telluride, Colorado. Susan and her family bought a vacation home in Telluride in 1986, hoping to get their young family on skis. She spent every summer in Telluride with her three sons, and that was the beginning of her love affair with this historical mining town nestled in some of the highest peaks of the San Juan Mountains. She has been a full-time resident of Telluride since 2002.

In 2013, Susan was approached by a French publishing company asking if she knew anyone who could write a book about Telluride. Although she had never written a book before, she offered herself as the author, knowing that her knowledge of history, familiarity with antique prints, and sheer enthusiasm for such a project would lead her to an outstanding final product. Telluride: A Silver Past, A Golden Future is selling through its third printing. Susan has also written: Durango: A Silver Past, A Golden Future and Denver: A Silver Past, A Golden Future.

She met Anthony Kinné in 2013 while he was working as a graphic designer at the French publishing company. He was assigned to her Telluride project and they made a good team. Susan and Anthony have collaborated on five books to date, the most recent being Aspen Journey Past to Present. Aspen, Colorado, is known as one of the most famous ski resorts in the world, but skiing is only one part of its history. The development of Aspen is multi-faceted and significant. It includes the involvement of the men of the 10th Mountain Division in founding Aspen businesses and the extraordinary vision of the Paepcke family to bring arts and conversations about issues that matter to a tiny Alpine town. The wealth of photos and archival materials available for a project like this created too many choices. She asked Judy Haas, Aspen born and bred, to join her and Anthony as the Editor in this project to help guide the narrative and the choice of images.

Judy Haas
Editor

Growing up in Aspen was a unique and memorable experience. Surrounded by the Rocky Mountains, Aspen offered a picturesque backdrop for childhood adventures and a deep appreciation for the natural beauty and tight-knit community that brought belonging and safety. My job as editor was to refine the writing and make sure that the photographs were in alignment with the stories. Being a part of this project has allowed me to contribute my skills and passion to a meaningful endeavor and I am happy to have played a role in bringing this story to life. It is my hope that the stories in this book will have the potential to inspire and touch the lives of its readers.

Anthony Kinné
Graphic Designer

After studying advertising as a creative, Anthony started a contract with a French publishing house. It was the beginning of a great passion for books, which led him to produce more than a hundred works worldwide as a graphic designer and then as an artistic director.

He founded “Dédikace” in 2019, a visual communication agency specializing in publishing. This structure – dynamic, creative, responsive and motivated – services publishers but also individuals to collaborate in all creation/layout work. Dédikace is able to follow an editorial project, including the design, the preparation of the files for printing, and all the steps between.