Check out our new video today.  I spent some time yesterday with Dusty Wescott, the co-author of a new book called "Historic Photos of Raleigh-Durham." 

Dusty has lived in Durham all his life.  He's worked in downtown Raleigh for 23 years in the museum business.  So, he knows there's no such place as "Raleigh-Durham."  But the title shows that the book encompasses old pictures of both Raleigh and Durham.

These 200-or-so pictures are great.  The oldest images are from the 19th century.  Wescott and his co-author, Ken Peters, have included some wonderful images from downtown Raleigh and Durham.  You can see how the State Capitol used to look (not too different), as well as Reynolds Coliseum, the old Raleigh Municipal Airport, Duke University, the Liggett & Myers tobacco complex and much more.  See the old streetcars that used to run through downtown.  The book includes an image of Main Street in Durham after the huge fire of 1914.  There's also a picture of construction along the Raleigh-Durham Highway in 1924 -- and the traffic jam is reminiscent of I-40 these days.

It's an attractive book and a fun trip through history.  The authors will be signing copies of "Historic Photos of Raleigh-Durham" at Quail Ridge Books on Wade Avenue in Raleigh next Wednesday (July 25) at 7 p.m. 

I know we're delving into Bill Leslie territory here, but do what are memories of how Raleigh and Durham used to be?  What's gone that used to be there?  What are some of the sites you think newcomers ought to see?