I recently had the opportunity to view the DVD “Desperate Dreams” by Rick Tegeler. The DVD is the result of numerous trips to Nevada with the purpose of documenting the mines and ghost towns of the mining frontier. The following quote from the Desperate Dreams site summarizes some of Rick’s experiences during his explorations:
“As I travelled the vast, open expanses of this magnificent Nevada landscape (very seldom seeing another vehicle let alone another soul) I wondered why I was/am so driven to experience these historical places. Perhaps it is because my visits to these isolated communities lost in time reaffirms my commitment to the preservation of history. Certainly it has broadened my understanding of the basics in human nature. I learned that those chapters of the past represented by the remains of these communities and mines were a celebration of men and women who could solve problems without a computer. They thrived admirably without supplies and advice from a local WalMart or Home Depot. They were able, and necessarily had, to adapt to the whims of nature in order to persist and survive. Probably most of all studying these places and the changes from then until now gave me a moving perspective on my own life and philosophy.” (read the full text at the Desperate Dreams website)
The Desperate Dreams DVD is an hour and 26 minutes in length, and features over 400 images of roughly 35 ghost towns and mining camps, and around 50 mine sites. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the DVD. It reminded me of why I got into mining history to begin with, and helped revive the enthusiasm I have for the subject.
Desperate Dreams is available for purchase at the following link: Desperate Dreams DVD
Update: now available as a large-format coffee table book. See the details HERE
Sample images from the DVD:.jpeg)
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