“While the original memorials were made of simple wooden crosses, for the last forty years a profound change in the design and appearance of descansos has taken place with the availability of new commercial construction materials and store-bought objects and decorations … The sites of remembrance have become singular creations in design, materials, and objects, with the result that no two are alike.” —Judith Hidden Lanius
Despite the prodigious number of roadside memorials found in the Northern New Mexico landscape, unknown to most, is the significance of the powerful and poignant descansos erected for years by the Hispanic community. In Mortal Highway (Daylight, Spring 2022) Judith Hidden Lanius offers a unique and highly personal view of descanso culture through her photographs interwoven with prose and lyrical verse inspired by her conversations with the families of the victims.
