A Trail of Marvels Offers Visually Stunning Look at Day of the Dead Celebrations
Houston, TX, November 2, 2022 — Just in time for holiday gifting, Rice Professor of Photography Geoff Winningham has published his book, A Trail of Marvels/Sendero de Maravillas, A Memoir of Mexico and Days of the Dead.
Winningham spent four decades documenting Day of the Dead festivals across Mexico, from Pátzcuaro, to Puebla, Michoacán, to Oaxaca. In the book, Winningham contrasts these celebrations, which vary dramatically by region and include diverse Day of the Dead rituals, “when the spirits of those who have died are granted divine permission to return to earth for one day of each year … where their family was waiting to welcome them.”
In this poignant memoir, Winningham chronicles a “voyage of personal discovery” that would “ultimately shape my understanding of life and death.” Having spent the first 15 years of his career photographing Texas in black and white, Winningham documents Day of the Dead across Mexico and across the decades in vivid, glorious color.
About the Author/Photographer
Geoff Winningham was born in Jackson, Tennessee, and earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Rice University and a master’s degree in photography from the Institute of Design at IIT, where he studied with Aaron Siskind and Arthur Siegel. He returned to Houston in 1968 to begin a career in photography, documentary filmmaking and journalism. He joined the art department at Rice University in 1969, and he continues to teach there today, holding the Lynette S. Autrey Chair in the Humanities.
His career spans more than 50 years, and his work has been published in numerous anthologies. He continues to direct the Pozos Art Project, Inc., teaching photography and art to children in Mineral de Pozos, Mexico, and in Houston.
More information about Winningham can be found at www.geoffwinningham.com.