The story of these photos of Concord's icy winter beauty starts a long way from here. Long-time Concord resident Allan Cole's birth in Japan, and his upbringing in Shanghai, China until he was nine represent the small seed of their start.

Though his family returned to North America, he never lost his interest in things Asian. Eventually, he became a scholar specializing in the history and politics of China and Japan, teaching at Tuft's Fletcher School for 29 years.
A two-year stay in Japan on Fulbright and Ford grants in the early 1950's immersed him in the rich esthetic of that country. In response, he came to discover an artistic aspect of himself which had hitherto been submerged. Since then, he has looked to music, photography and poetry for expression.

He had just begun exploring winter photography in the 1980's when he captured the images on this page and on the cover of this month's magazine. Always a great walker, he was interested in capturing the frozen shapes, patterns and textures in some of his favorite haunts: Concord's Estabrook Woods and Jenny Dugan Brook in the area of the Concord Country Club.

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