Postcard of the Kay El Bar dude ranch, Wickenburg, Arizona, 1950s. I wrote a blog post this past summer about my first visit to Wickenburg, Arizona in July of 2003, when I was the Levi Strauss & Co. Historian. I was looking for the grave of miner Homer Campbell, whose jeans were in the company … Continue reading A famed journalist and my first visit to a dude ranch.
Levi Strauss & Co.
Happy Birthday Levi Strauss!
Today, February 26, is the 195th birthday of Levi Strauss, and I thought it would be fitting to devote my blog to the great man. In 2016 I published the biography, Levi Strauss: The Man Who Gave Blue Jeans to the World, based on my nearly 25 years of research into his life. There are … Continue reading Happy Birthday Levi Strauss!
Lady Levi’s and the Dude Rancher
I "retired" as the Levi Strauss & Co. Historian ten years ago, but my time there continues to spill over into the research and writing I'm doing now. (Which is why "retired" isn't really the right word.) When I was researching my book American Dude Ranch: A Touch of the Cowboy and the Thrill of … Continue reading Lady Levi’s and the Dude Rancher
When worlds collide…with clowns
Anyone who studies or writes about history will tell you that people, stories, facts, and weirdness will often intersect. I found that out when I was writing my book Arequipa Sanatorium: Life in California's Lung Resort for Women back in 2018. I discovered that the work of one of the sanatorium's doctors spilled over into … Continue reading When worlds collide…with clowns
