The natural light photography of Bruce Roberts is well known to the readers of Southern Living and Our State magazines. In conjunction with the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources’ 2008 theme of “Telling Our Stories,” the Historical Publications Section of the Office of Archives and History announces the publication of “Just Yesterday: North Carolina People and Places,” by Roberts, the award-winning photographer. In “Just Yesterday,” 191 black-and-white and color photographs strike a chord of memory in all who consider North Carolina home.
Roberts’ unique perspective records fascinating images of lighthouses and coastal scenes, farm workers toiling on family farms in the eastern Sand Hills, the Civil Rights movement, explosive urban growth in the Piedmont, and both the natural beauty of western mountains and the quiet dignity of that region’s people. Commentaries by Roberts enhance the reader’s experience of these timeless photographs.
Roberts worked as a journalist for several North Carolina newspapers before joining the Charlotte Observer as a staff photographer in 1959. During the 15-year period from 1963 to1978 that he worked as a freelance photographer, his photographs appeared in a number of books and national magazines. In 1978, Roberts joined the staff of Southern Living as the magazine’s first director of photography and later served as its senior travel photographer (1982–1992).
“Just Yesterday: North Carolina People and Places” (150 pages, illustrated, index, paperbound) costs $34.69, which includes tax and shipping. Order from the Historical Publications Section (N), Office of Archives and History, 4622 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-4622. For credit card orders call (919) 733-7442, ext. 0, or access the Publications Section’s secure online store at http://nc-historical-publications.stores.yahoo.net/. “Just Yesterday” is also available on Amazon.com.
The Historical Publications Section offers more than 190 North Carolina books, maps, and document facsimiles. For a free catalog, write to the address above; call (919) 733-7442, ext. 0; or e-mail trudy.rayfield@ncmail.net. The Historical Publications section www.ncpublications.com is administered by the Office of Archives and History, which is part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources www.ncculture.com.