In 1970, just a couple weeks after I was born, my dad was in what I researched to be a Cat 5 Tornado! He was driving a Porsche that he had restored. Here is his story in writing. My latest Photo series "Through the lens of legacy" is a tribute to his love of Porsches.
We lived in Denver then...
1970 Lubbock, Texas!
In Lubbock on business: Staying in the Wagon
Wheel motel. Awoke around 3-4 am, Strong
Strong Wind. I rushed to the Shelter near Stinging
Swimming Pool, got in a Pit w/Chlorine Tank, Just
as the Motel was hit by a Major Tornado. the motel
was Completely Destroyed as was a Porsche
Cabriolet Conv. I had recently restored &driven
down from Denver; We escaped to downtown hotel
courtesy of a Texan in a Cadillac offering rides
to the Survivors after the Storm
Passed. — The Porsche! I found it under
the office roof the next morning, crushed but
breathing w/help of a Texan w/ Large Wrecker,
got the car out of the Rubble. & windshield torn
off, Top Torn off, Not a single spot
on the Car un-damaged, Car full of Rubble
I was able to sufficiently repair the
Car & drove it back home to Denver.
The Storm in Lubbock was so Strong it
Completely destroyed a 16 16-floor bank building
1 mile from me: for Several years hence
A breeze at night would wake me up
Shaking; in a cold Sweat
The Car was a total Loss: I salvaged the
engine & Trans, and later used them in a
1955 Porsche Split Window Coupe
Through the Lens of Legacy: The 911 Carrera S
The Porsche 911 Carerra S shone under the Oak trees. The shadows of their branches tell stories in their reflections. I set up my Graflex Super D camera—the one Ed, my husband, bought for me—with my 1800s Petzval lens attached and lined up the shot, capturing her details onto the film. In the darkroom, I hand-developed the negatives, the car taking shape in shades of gray. It isn’t just a car—it is a link.
Dad was a Porsche lover and a photographer. He owned so many Porsches, and his camera was always with him. He’d drive us (my sister and me) in his 911s and other exotic cars and photograph us playing next to them. He taught me how to see the world through his lens, and that stuck with me, even after he was gone.
I married Ed, a Porsche lover too. When he gave me the Graflex, it felt like a nod to Dad. With his 911 Carrera S, I’d tied them together—Dad’s lessons, Ed’s gift, my hands. The photos I developed aren’t just of a car; they are a piece of Dad’s eye, Ed’s heart, and my past, all rolled into one.
Erika Masterson Photographic Artist 2025
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