A convenience store and gas station in the very small town of Valmy, Nevada, off of route 80. Photographed on a road trip from Salt Lake City to Reno, Nevada in 1977. The idea was to make photographs, especially landscapes, that echoed the themes on the “Darkness” album. Out of this trip, Bruce wrote the song “The Promised Land.”

Eric recalls: “The day after Elvis died, we flew out to Utah to shoot for Darkness on the Edge of Town, and after driving all night through towns with names like Beowawe, Winnemucca and Valmy, I remember trying to fall asleep one night in Elko; but it wasn’t easy, laying on the hood of the Ford Galaxie we had been driving across the desert, with dogs howling somewhere in the distance.”

“Valmy” was rumoured to be a possible cover for Darkness on the Edge of Town.

Photograph © Eric Meola, registered with U.S. Copyright Office