Fraser, Colorado in Winter

Fraser, Colorado in Winter

A low sun rises over the snowy Main Street of a western town backed by a big mountain range. In the winter of 1954 Life Magazine sent Ruohomaa to Fraser, Colorado to photograph life and work amongst the woodsmen and ranchers in the frigid, snow-laden landscapes of the Rocky Mountains. The following year Life assigned him to make images to illustrate the magazine's centennial celebration of Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass", including scenes from Fraser, and other locations tracing the path of the poet around America. Ultimately the magazine selected twelve, titled "The Paths Whitman Walked: poet's 'Leaves of Grass' has its 100th anniversary." Sixteen years later, several of Ruohomaa's photos from Colorado and beyond were included in another publication of the poet's collection, "The Illustrated Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman" (1971). Howard Chapnick , Ruohomaa's dear friend and colleague, was the editor, and had arranged early on in the project to have the poet William Carlos Williams write the introduction. In it Williams' insights extolled a deep appreciation of the relationship between the arts of poetry and photography. Ruohomaa sought out conditions of weather and light that provided mood and sometimes a sense of physical or psychological unease. From a contact sheet that remains we know he shot this among several scenes in and around Fraser probably during the same early morning hours. The sun, dim behind a cloud, weakly illuminates the dawn in this streetscape which may be downtown Fraser. Just a few tire tracks mar the new snow in the street. No one is out; the cafe and bar have yet to open. At center, a snow-covered 1940s automobile reads like a photographic negative.