Photography students like Laing are also involved in the project. On Tuesday 13 writers and 13 photographers spent most of the day at various locales chronicling the everyday activities of Abilenians. The results will be on display for public viewing in ACU's McGlothlin Campus Center April 5-9. Laing discovered Martinez' s shop a year ago when she was searching for a certain look to photograph for another project. In those 37 years, the walls of Martinez's Barber Shop have absorbed a lot of conversation, much like Laing overheard Tuesday morning when two of Martinez's regulars came in for a trim.
Customers listen to Spanish music on a radio and talk sports, jobs, and family.
Laing wanted to make sure each photo was just right, capturing the essence of the shop as well as it classic decor. I'm trying to make sure every single one is very good. Other walls hold family photos like the ones of Martinez's wife's father, who died in 1913 after fighting in the Mexican Revolution. The man in the photo looks down on Martinez's clientele with steely eyes peering from beneath a distinctive sombrero. Little Nicholas Lopez is too busy crying to appreciate the classic photograph, even if it is a distant, distinguished relative.