Douglas Keister

Douglas Keister: Photographer, Writer, and Chronicler of American Life

Douglas Keister is a Chico, California-based photographer and writer who has authored dozens of critically acclaimed books. A tireless creative force, Keister has built a remarkable career spanning architecture, history, cemetery exploration, travel, and a memoir, cementing his place as one of America's most prolific and versatile author-photographers. Mining his life experiences, he has written six novels.

Early Life and Background

Keister grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska, in the 1950s, one of millions of what he called "Free-Range Children" — children who invented their own games, and were largely free of the turmoil of the modern world. That Midwestern upbringing would later become the subject of one of his most personal works, the memoir Heart-Land: Growing Up in the Middle of Everything, and its sequel, the EXPANDED EDITION Heart-Land: Growing Up in the Middle of Everything which grew out of a series of popular columns he contributed to the Chico Enterprise-Record.

A Career Built on Architecture and Photography

Keister's professional reputation rests largely on his encyclopedic documentation of American residential architecture. His books include five books on Victorian homes (he was the photographer for the 1987 book Daughter’s of Painted Ladies which Publishers Weekly called it one of the best books of the year), twelve books on bungalow homes (his 1994 book The Bungalow was the first photography-driven book on bungalows), two editions of Storybook Style (an architectural style he co-named) on 1920s whimsical homes, six books about cemetery art and symbolism, a book on Spanish architecture, four books on cottages, and a book on courtyards. This extraordinary body of work earned him the widely recognized title of "America's most noted photographer of historic architecture.” He was an unintentional influencer when his 1990 book Black Rock: Portraits on the Playa was noticed by the founders of Burning Man and they moved their event to the Black Rock Desert where Keister had photographed his book.

Cemetery Exploration

One of the most distinctive threads in Keister's career is his deep passion for cemetery art, symbolism, and architecture. His interest in historic architecture led to his 1997 book on mausoleums Going Out in Style which was followed by his landmark book Stories in Stone: A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography which became a beloved reference for historians, genealogists, and curious wanderers alike. That book was followed by regional volumes Forever Dixie, Forever L.A., Stories in Stone New York and Stories in Stone Paris Sunset magazine famously declared that Keister "has done for cemetery exploration what Audubon did for birding," and CBS Sunday Morning correspondent Rita Braver dubbed him "America's Chief Tombstone Tourist" when his cemetery books were featured in a segment in October 2010.

Beyond Architecture: RVs, Children's Books, and Fiction

Keister's curiosity extends well beyond architecture. He has written and photographed four books on classic recreational vehicles. His 2003 book, Ready to Roll, was the first mainstream photo-driven book on vintage travel trailers. It was followed by, Silver Palaces, Mobile Mansions, and Teardrops and Tiny Trailers. He also authored an award-winning children's book, Fernando's Gift. In 2019, he published People, Places & Pieces of Paradise, an extraordinary account of the November 2018 Paradise/Camp Fire near his home in Chico, California. In 2010, he turned to fiction, writing the novels Autumn in Summer. Bullets Baubles & Bones, The Sleepy Hollow Mystery, Ember, Phaedra and Lilith and the Holey Man.

A Life on the Road and the Lecture Circuit

Keister travels frequently to photograph and lecture on historic architecture and photography. He has given presentations in dozens of cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, Houston, Kansas City, and at prestigious institutions including the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., and the Cooper Union in New York.

Legacy

In addition to his books, Keister writes and illustrates magazine articles and contributes photographs and essays to dozens of magazines, newspapers, books, calendars, posters, and greeting cards worldwide. A colleague once said of him: "Doug is a one-man band and one of the hardest-working photographers I know. He comes up with a concept, and creates, markets, and sells a book on the subject — and each concept is a different planet in his solar system. He's got an amazing range. And a quirky eye."

Douglas Keister remains an active and prolific voice in American photography and writing, continuing to find beauty, history, and meaning in the overlooked corners of American life — from the ornate facades of Victorian homes to the quiet poetry of a cemetery stone.