Location
Dean Blair Pittman
Years: 1937–2016 | Role: Photojournalist | County: Brewster
Topics
Description
Pittman was a Texas photojournalist. His images appeared in the Houston Chronicle, National Geographic, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Forbes, Texas Monthly, and the Smithsonian. In the early 1970s, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chose him along with more than 80 other photographers who shot images for the five-year Documerica series, together capturing over 80,000 views of both pristine natural landscapes and industrial scenes nationwide. He also contributed photos to Earth Book and Texas Caves (2000). As well, he combined his images with text, producing The Natural World of the Texas Big Thicket (1978), documentng the area’s woods, swamps, orchids and diverse fauna. Pittman also compiled The Stories of I.C. Eason: King of the Dog People (1996), based on oral histories and photography from the Neches River bottomlands.
Location Notes
The Terlingua Trading Post might be an evocative place for a marker in memory of Mr. Pittman. Pittman settled in Terlingua in 1999, became part of its community, and gathered oral histories there for his series, Tales from the Terlingua Porch. Naturally, as a private location, a marker there would need the owner’s permission.
Files
- Blair Pittman, Fishing in the Houston Ship Channel with DuPont Chemical in the Background, Documerica Series, USEPA, NARA, 550902, Early 1970s.
- Blair Pittman, Galveston West Beach, Documerica Series, USEPA, NARA, 550921, Early 1970s.
- Blair Pittman, Offshore Oil Wells on Galveston Bay, Documerica Series, USEPA, NARA, 545834, Early 1970s.
- Blair Pittman, Storage Tanks of National Molasses Company on the Houston Ship Channel, Documerica Series, USEPA, NARA, 55091, Early 1970s.
- Blair Pittman, Tugboat in the Houston Ship Channel with Oil Storage Tanks in Background, Documerica Series, USEPA, NARA, 550893, Early 1970s.
Archives
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Blair Pittman, Documerica Project, 1971-1977, Record Group 412 (Local Identifier 412-DA), National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD.
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Blair Pittman, Interview by David Marshall and Bill Tydeman, February 20, 2002, transcript, Southwest Collection / Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas.