Green Door Ranch Then and Now

There’s been a real scarcity of “Then and Now” posts at BIGDoer.com lately. For years they’ve been a staple here, and we did a good number of them, but for the last while our output has slowed to a near trickle. Worry not, we’ve not totally forgotten about the genre. We’re not neglecting it, or given up on it, we just got way to busy for an extended period and had no choice but to put them all on the back burner. You know how it goes. One can only do so much.

Our loyal readers have been vocal in telling us they want to see more – you guys are insatiable. So good news, there’s a number of them in the pipeline already shot with more planned or in the works for the future (including some movie then and nows). Stay tuned. And of course, there’s this here one to help get the ball rolling. Yeah, we finally found some time!

Presented here, scenes from a remote and lonely place, what we call the “Green Door Ranch”, found deep in the Alberta Badlands. The first image is circa 1970s and was captured by our dear friend Norman (Norm) Miller way back then. Seen are a couple of his chums taking in some of the outbuildings there, a pretty simple and basic photo, yet one so compelling. Then there’s our take on it, same angle and composition, showing how it all looks today.

There’s been some change in the many decades since the first image was captured. The buildings, which appear to have been animal pens, have deteriorated. The left one today is near collapse now and another on the opposite side, nothing more than a pile of hewn logs back then, is now totally gone. Time and weather and the ever beating sun, and perhaps the occasional vandal, have taken their toll. They always conspire. Still, the place looks much as it did back then.

The distinctive hill in back connects the two photos. It’s unchanged. The Badlands sure have a distinctive topography. And down here it’s so hot and arid. Note the leaning post to the left, the same in both pics.

The Green Door Ranch, a cattle operation, dates back to the early 1900s and was lived until the 1940s when the owner, its only full time occupant, passed away. Since then it’s been vacant and mostly forgotten and visited by few – it’s remote and challenging to get to and is on private land. Want to know more about the place and it history? We did a nice little write up about it here: Green Door Ranch. We hope you agree it’s a good read and a visual treat for the eyes (finger’s crossed). Do comment when there. Or do it here. We’d love to hear what you think about the ranch or how we captured it.

Norm recalls that back the 1970s the main ranch buildings did not have the green trim they have today. Seems they got painted later – interior cupboards are also done up in that shade.

This then and now came pretty close to being spot on the same as far as angle and composition goes. It’s that close! As we always do, the heaving lifting is done in-camera with no post production realigning. It took about a half dozen attempts to get it right here (or almost right, I can see where were could have tweaked it further). Anyway, we find our position, reference an alignment grid placed over the original photo, match that with the viewfinder grid, then shoot. Then, as needed, we adjust things slightly and shoot again (and again and again and again till it’s good). With this technique, we can usually get pretty close and someones we even match them up perfectly. Sometimes we blow it too. It can be the roll of the dice.

Many of the “then” photos used in this ongoing series are sourced by us, where as others are sent in by readers, as was done for this post. If you have an old photo (your copyright or in the public domain) that you think would make a cool starting point for a BIGDoer Then and Now, please send it our way. We look forward to hearing from you.

Some favourites…
Brokeback Mountain Then and Now – Twist Ranch.
East Coulee Alberta Then and Now.
Calgary Then and Now – Currie Barracks Parade Square.

If you wish more information on what you’ve seen here, by all means contact us!

Date: July, 2017.
Location: Alberta Badlands.
Article references: Norman Miller.
The Green Door Ranch is on private property. BIGDoer.com visited with permission.

Many decades apart, outbuildings at a forgotten ranch – original Norman Miller.

The living quarters with green doors and trim.

These appear to be animal pens.

Cactus abound in the arid conditions here.

Weathered and sun bleached.