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Times Past: Reflections from Arizona History is a collection of 120 stories that have appeared in the Arizona Capitol Times over the past 30 years. The Capitol Times is a newspaper specializing in coverage of the Legislature and state government. But, politics and history have always gone hand-in-hand. But a true understanding of politics has always implied an understanding of history.

Each story of “Times Past” pairs an archival photo with original research. The photo captures a moment in time; the essay provides depth and context to the subject of the photo. Most of the events are not well known. The publisher feels the real character of the state and its people are revealed more in the lives of its common citizens than in the proclamations of its politicians. For a full listing of stories, click on the link for Table of Contents.

How “Times Past” began: In the 1950s, the publisher, whose family had been in Arizona since Territorial days and had used photography to chronicle the state’s growth, began running a different photo each week on the front page of the newspaper. That feature gradually evolved to include stories written by specialists and rare photos from museums, historical societies and archives across the state. The name “Times Past” was first used in 1993. For decades “Times Past” has been chosen by readers as one of the most popular features in the newspaper.

In 2005, the Dolan Company (NYSE: DM) purchased the Capitol Times, and within three years, publisher Ginger Lamb decided to move forward with a coffee table book that contained some of the best of “Times Past” columns. The book was published in December 2008 and has received universally positive reviews.

For more information about the book, its contents and its genesis, click on the links on the navigation pane on the right.

To order the book, click here to be taken to The Capitol Store.