Phoenix Public Library, Phoenix, AZ. -- December 08, 2008 -- Phoenix Public Library will host the national debut of "Lasting Light: 125 Years of Grand Canyon Photography" Jan. 10 - March 29, 2009 at Burton Barr Central Library, 1221 North Central Ave. Admission is free.

The exhibit features 60 photographs by well-known photographers including Jack Dykinga, Michael Collier, Mike Buchheit, James Cowlin, and Sue Bennett. Covering nearly 125 years of photographic history, the exhibit includes images of early photographers dangling from cables with their cumbersome equipment balanced on their shoulders to more modern images that are bold and dramatic, featuring the canyon's startling natural beauty.

Three free programs with featured photographers complement the exhibit:

• Mike Buchheit - "Capturing the Canyon: One Photographer's Ongoing Journey"

  2 - 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, Burton Barr Central Library, 1221 N. Central Ave.

• Jack Dykinga - "A Love Affair with the Grand Canyon"

  7 - 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14, Burton Barr Central Library, 1221 N. Central Ave.

• Michael Collier - "Through a Geologist's Lens: The Grand Canyon"

  7 - 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18, Burton Barr Central Library, 1221 N. Central Ave.

"Lasting Light: 125 Years of Grand Canyon Photography" was created by the Grand Canyon Association and organized for travel by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. The exhibit is sponsored locally by the Phoenix Public Library Foundation with media support from Arizona Highways Magazine.

Phoenix Public Library is a system of 14 branch libraries and the Burton Barr Central Library. For more information, call 602-262-4636 or visit phoenixpubliclibrary.org.