The people of Oaxaca, Mexico, believe the souls of the dead, the 
antepasados, return every year for a twenty-four-hour visit. They 
are welcomed into their former homes with gaily decorated altars 
and offerings of food and gifts. Then they are escorted back to 
their resting places in the cemeteries. In recent years, Día de los 
Muertos has become widely known not only throughout Mexico 
but also in the United States, drawing tourists in large numbers.

    Since 1993, photographer Denis Defibaugh and author Ward 
Albro have visited the festivals, both in Oaxaca City and in the 
smaller villages, where customs marking this passage have 
evolved over generations. They have been welcomed into people's 
homes and have taken part in the public festivals. In this beautiful 
book, Defibaugh's photography catches the essence of the people 
and their celebration, while Albro's text supplies background 
understanding of the beliefs and practices of the observance.

    The Day of the Dead book expresses the joy, sorrow, and 
ritual of the many public celebrations of the festival. Defibaugh's 
quiet, subtle perceptions distinguish his photographic vision. His 
approach is to perceive, compose, and capture all the visual 
elements and fit the analogous body language and facial 
expressions into his images. Albro's illuminating personal essay 
introduces the Muertos culture of the people of Oaxaca.

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DENIS DEFIBAUGH is professor of photography in the Rochester 
Institute of Technology's School of Photographic Arts and Sciences. 
His work Family Ties Do Not Die, The Day of the Dead in Oaxaca, 
Mexico has produced three solo exhibitions in Texas and numerous 
shows in San Francisco, Miami, Rochester, Buffalo, and Montana. 
His documentary and travel photographs earned a Fulbright Travel/
Study Grant to Mexico in 1993. WARD S. ALBRO is professor 
emeritus at Texas A&M University–Kingsville and founder of Tierra 
del Sol: Mexico Programs and Services, which organizes 
historical-cultural tours of Mexico. He lives in Castroville, Texas, 
and teaches at the University of Texas at San Antonio and the 
Texas A&M University–Kingsville System Center in San Antonio.