As you make your way along the curved arm of the Cape and arrive at the Outer Cape, it is almost as if you have crossed the threshold into a different world. A world which feels it has been untouched for decades, although how could it be, with thousands of summer visitors treading upon the fragile landscape of the Cape.

For photographer Robert Colley, capturing the nostalgia for what was, is something he has accomplished with his new book, Truro and the Outer Cape. “Some of the places captured in my photos, going back 50 years, no longer exist or are unrecognizable to the modern traveler, given the ever-changing character of the region,” relays Colley. “My hope is that people who are familiar with the Outer Cape, both residents and tourists, are able to revisit the places they love through fresh eyes and in a small way appreciate some of the Outer Cape’s more recent history.”

Colley, who has been summering in Truro for over 50 years, has always been fond of taking photos ever since he was a kid. “I was always the one recording various adventures of friends in high school and college,” he shares. In college, Colley found himself surrounded by other photographers who encouraged him to pursue the artistic venture. “When I was in graduate school, at Syracuse University, I got my first serious Nikon camera, which enabled me to take a few photography classes.” And when Colley’s job at the university took him to various countries around the world, he always had his camera in tow.