A new book is turning the lens on Lethbridge.
Lethbridge: A History in Pictures takes readers through the city’s past, from its first photos right up to the modern day, in what co-author Belinda Crowson calls a “complete photographic history of Lethbridge.”
“That was actually much more interesting to me, was to think about… what were the most important events of the last 50 years, because quite often we don’t think of the most recent information and current events as history,” Crowson said.
The book is co-author Lorien Johansen’s first published work. She says it traces the city’s transition from early days into what it is now.
“We wanted to show photos that captured moments and pieces of our history that were important in the development and how Lethbridge came to be,” Johansen said.
“What we have tried to do is show all the different aspects: the social history, the military history, the political history and give you a piece of it all,” Crowson said.
Crowson, Johansen and fellow co-authors Bobbie Fox and George Kuhl spent a year on the project, gathering more than 130 photos and information for the book.
“Each of us had our favourite photos,” Crowson said.
“Each of us had ‘this is the (photo) we should have in there’ opinions and then you had to sell it to the others.”
“Those were fun conversation to have and now you see what four people have put together.”
Conversations that have created a time capsule Johansen says will have everyone learning something new about the city’s past.
“There’s a lot of really interesting things in here about innovations or the first time something happened that Lethbridge was a part of and perhaps people don’t know about that.”
Crowson believes it will give readers a better understanding of the city.
“When you’re looking at a community, you have to look at it like a superhero. You have to know the origin story.
“We’ve put the origin story of Lethbridge in here.”