canyon road

A film project by Kamio Media

1972 Photo by Douglas Magnus

WATCH CHAPTER 1 NOW

“A Brief History of Canyon Road” gives you an overview to the story, told from the perspective of some of Santa Fe’s leading historians. Click the link below to watch the short film.

This trailer is brought to you by Nedra Matteucci Galleries

How did it happen?

Steeped in ancient myth and home to some of New Mexico's original Spanish families, Camino Cañon was a welcoming place when the Anglo artists began arriving in Santa Fe at the end of the 1800's.   The street was witness to the original art colony of the 20's and pivotal American history in the 40's.  When the hippies descended upon Santa Fe in the 60's, Canyon Road was still unpaved and cheap.   It was rowdy and vibrant.   Things reached a fever pitch in the 80's when Ralph Lauren started promoting his "Santa Fe Style" and the movie stars came to town for a new film festival.   By the 90's the road had reached a tipping point, and Santa Fe as a whole would never be the same again.  But how did it all happen?  

This new documentary series will provide a first-hand account by diving deep into the relatively unknown archives at the Acequia Madre House and shining a light into the personal collection of Doug Magnus.   Mid-century excitement will be revealed by the story of Hal West, and the whole thing will be narrated by people who come from here.   This is not a Texan story, nor is it a Californian story.  

Canyon Road as we know it today could only have happened in New Mexico, and we intend to find out why.  

Featuring the little-known archives of eva fenyes and her daughter: The Fenyes-Curtin-Paloheimo Collection

supported by

Featuring rarely seen photographs and film FOOTAGE FROM THE ARCHIVE OF Douglas Magnus

Follow along with the story on Instagram

View fullsize A collection of slides from the 1940’s. Likely taken by Leonora Curtin. Courtesy of the Fenyes-Curtin-Paloheimo collection at the Acequia Madre House. #santafenewmexico #landscape #1940s #vintagephotography #slides #flowers #meadow #santaf
View fullsize Cristo Rey Church, seen here in 1970. Everyone always talks about how this building was designed by John Gaw Meem, but a lesser known part of the story is that it was built by the community. In the late 30’s the Spanish neighborhood came tog
View fullsize #newmexicotrue La Cienega, 1930’s. Photo likely taken by Leonora Curtin. Courtesy of the Fenyes-Curtin-Paloheimo collections at the Acequia Madre House. #newmexicohistory #lacienega #santafe #historicphotography #historicarchitecture #new
View fullsize What it would look like to take a stroll around town in 1917? Photos likely by Eva Scott Fenyes and Sheldon Parsons. Courtesy of the Fenyes-Curtin-Paloheimo collections at the Acequia Madre House. @wiscsantafe @sfgolondrinas @pasadenamuseumofh
View fullsize Eva Scott Fenyes and her 8 year old daughter Leonora at the Santa Fe plaza in 1890. It’s very interesting to see the D.B. Chase pennant on the balcony. He was a photographer in the 1800’s and he had a studio on the plaza that he purcha
View fullsize Let’s take a tour through Sheldon Parson’s house (in the late 1920s). Parsons was one of the big names of the early art colony, and he was also one of the first directors of the art museum. He built his famous house on Cerro Gordo in 1
View fullsize Shuster’s old press, courtesy of Eli Levin. 1. I found this etching from Will Shuster in the archives at Acequia Madre House. Dated 1925. 2. Will Shuster’s old press at Eli Levin’s house. 3-5. Eli making a print on the old
View fullsize Eva Scott Fenyes took this photo in 1891. She was a compulsive photographer, and the Fenyes-Curtin-Paloheimo collections (at the Acequia Madre House) offer an incredible look back in time to turn of the century Santa Fe. But Eva was also a talente

SUPPORT THE FILM

by supporting local artists

Learn about how your tax-deductible donation or purchase of original artwork can support the telling of this important New Mexico story.