Category Archives: History

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Make It a Movement

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I find that I have to keep the tissues close at hand as the emotions of 1/21/2017 overwhelm me.
Millions marched the world over.
More than 500,000 in DC with no arrests.
Not one negative comment or action did I witness.
Solidarity. Love. Passion. Commitment. Unity.
As my good friend and fellow marcher, Jim, noted “Now it is time to see that this marvelous moment becomes a meaningful movement that perseveres forward toward a future where justice and equality prevail. We shall not rest”.
That is our challenge.

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About these images: As we walked the 2 miles along East Capitol St, from RFK Stadium to the rally site, the people who lived there welcomed us with signs, high fives (and high walkers), cheers and thumbs up.

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As you might imagine, I have hundreds of photos to process.  I’ll be sharing more about this historic march as the days and weeks go by.  I realize that not all of you agree with me on these issues, but for those who do:

Let’s Make it a Movement!

I’ve already planned a Let’s Elect More Women event and havee got a postcard writing party in the works.

10 Actions / 100 Days

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Images of Greensboro

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Weekends during the month of June were packed with travel, and my shutter finger worked overtime!

I’m still glowing over my time in Atlanta with my son, exploring public art and architecture, cocktails and cuisine, and green spaces. Then last weekend I was able to spend the weekend in Greensboro, NC to photograph a wedding.  Some of you have visited Karen’s blog about hiking, and she most recently posted about her daughter’s wedding.

I am not a professional photographer, and definitely not a wedding photographer, so I was a bit nervous (to say the least).   I’ve known the bride since she was a young teen, and despite my nerves, it was an honor to try to capture the joy of this fun loving couple.

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The time I had to photograph downtown Greensboro was limited, but I wanted to share a bit of it with you.  Some of these images were taken with my camera, and several with my cell phone.

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The city is a wonderful mix of old and new architecture,

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with a proud and tragic history.

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During my morning walk, I learned that Martin Luther King was scheduled to speak in Greensboro on April 4th, 1968.  He cancelled his visit to stay in Memphis one more night where he was assasinated that same day.  If only …

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Within a few minutes walk from Elm Street, the main drag in downtown Greensboro, is the Isley House.  Built by German immigrants, circa 1845, the log house was moved from its original location when the historical museum took it apart and reassembled it here.

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My morning walk took me past public art,

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and along the train tracks.

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Finally, just a few random images.

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Believe me, a cold beer tasted great after hours spent with the camera.

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Thankfully, my friend Tim was there to help me!

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I’m home for a couple weekends but the next trip in two weeks will be on the motorcycle!

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Gulf Coast Florida History: Spanish Point

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 After enjoying the water and wildlife of Lido Beach, we toured historic Spanish Point.

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Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Spanish Point is an “old Florida oasis”.   Many people think of Florida as Disney, Orlando, and beach front condominiums, but a walk through Spanish Point reveals what Florida was like before it became a tourist/ retirement destination.

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There are four main elements to the overall story of Spanish Point: Prehistory, Pioneer, Palmer and Plants, and we enjoyed a walking tour through all of those elements.  An archaeological record exists on the site from approximately 5,000 years of Florida prehistory.

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I loved learning about Bertha Honore Palmer.  “The Chicago socialite and widow of Potter Palmer came to Sarasota to establish a winter estate. She purchased thousands of acres for cattle ranching, citrus groves, and real estate development.  She named her 350-acre estate “Osprey Point” and preserved the pioneer buildings and connected them with lavish formal gardens and lawns.

She also had vision, and she used her influence to elevate the status of women.  She was quoted as saying that “women have no desire to be helpless and dependent.  Having full use of their faculties, they rejoice in using them”.

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photo credit HistoricSpanishPoint.org

Bertha Honoree Palmer also said “Freedom and justice for all are infinitely more to be desired than a pedestal for a few”.  What a progressive woman!

The Guptill house, built in 1901 and originally rented to winter boarders, is now furnished to reflect the Florida pioneer era.

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Mary’s Chapel was built in 1901 in memory of a young woman who died while staying at the winter resort.  Mary’s parents provided the funding for the Chapel, and it’s six stained glass windows.

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Those six stained glass windows were salvaged when the Chapel was reconstructed in 1986.

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This Gumbo Limbo tree is known as the “tourist tree” because the bark is red and peeling like a sunburn.

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Visitors to Spanish Point can “explore 30 historical, environmental, and archaeological acres at this irreplaceable outdoor museum on Little Sarasota Bay in Osprey, Florida”.  I urge you to visit if  you are in the Sarasota area.

After all the walking and exploring, it was time for a cold beer, and where better to have one than in a Tiki Hut.

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Mother Nature and the local birding wildlife offered a beautiful end of the day show!

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Nest Post: Siesta Beach and the Museum of Art & Whimsy

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Birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement

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The instructions were simple: sit quietly and wait to be served.

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The Sit-In movement was born in Greensboro, NC.  “Four African American college students walked up to a whites-only lunch counter at the local WOOLWORTH’S store and asked for coffee. When service was refused, the students sat patiently. Despite threats and intimidation, the students sat quietly and waited to be served”

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As the national Sit-In Movement grew, “participants would be jeered and threatened by local customers. Sometimes they would be pelted with food or ketchup. Angry onlookers tried to provoke fights that never came. In the event of a physical attack, the student would curl up into a ball on the floor and take the punishment. Any violent reprisal would undermine the spirit of the sit-in. When the local police came to arrest the demonstrators, another line of students would take the vacated seats”.

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To read more about that day in 1960, and the desegregation efforts that followed, please take a moment to read this brief article.

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That same Woolworth’s building is now the home of the International Civil Rights Center & Museum, whose mission “seeks to ensure that the world never forgets the courage displayed by four young North Carolina A&T State College students, on February 1, 1960, and the hundreds and thousands of college and community youth in Greensboro, in the South and around the country who joined them in the days and weeks that followed which led to the desegregation of the Woolworth lunch counter and ultimately to the smashing of the despicable segregation system in the southern United States”

* Much of the preceding text was taken from the website linked above *

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It would be too easy to assume that racism no longer exists because the more obvious “Whites-Only” signs are long gone.  Sadly, as has been evident in the news of late, racism is still a battle not yet won.

We must never forget, though, the brave ones who led the way to desegregation.

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International Women’s Day

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Tomorrow is International Women’s Day and the 2016 Campaign Theme is Pledge for Parity.

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“Worldwide, women continue to contribute to social, economic, cultural and political achievement, and while there is much to celebrate, progress towards gender parity has slowed in many places”.

Let’s all do our part to take concrete steps to help achieve gender parity more quickly – whether by

  • helping women and girls achieve their ambitions,
  • calling for gender-balanced leadership,
  • respecting and valuing difference,
  • developing more inclusive and flexible cultures, and
  • rooting out workplace bias.

Each of us can be a leader within our own spheres of influence and commit to take pragmatic action to accelerate gender parity.

Please share through your social networks, using #pledgeforparity and #IWD2016

In the meantime, check out this Timeline of Women’s Footprints in History

Thanks for helping to spread the word!

IWD2016

* Much of the verbage in this post was taken from the International Women’s Day website *

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Walking By History

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During that same morning walk last Sunday, where I saw a few signs of spring, I also saw signs of history.

Signs that cause a distinct sense of sadness and pain,

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others that show the effect of time and weather,

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and some that showcase pride.

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I’ve passed by these markers hundreds, if not thousands of times, mostly on the bike or in the truck.

Walking though, offers time for reflection and commemoration.

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Fashions for Evergreens

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For the past 9 years, the Inn at Virginia Tech has hosted Fashions for Evergreens, a Christmas Tree competition.  Established in 2006, the event enourages local businesses and organizations to come up with a theme, and create a professional, designer quality Christmas tree.  The trees are on display throughout the holiday season, and members of the public get to vote for their favorite tree.

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After enjoying a Raspberry Martini at the Continental Divide Lounge, my friends and I took a tour of the trees.

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The atmosphere was magical, filled with light and color.

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Prices Fork Elementary School’s theme was a Merry Mocha Christmas

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The Virginia Quilt Museum went with a blue theme

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Matt Hagan Outdoors celebrated outdoor sports

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The Linus Project, an organization that hand makes blankets for critically ill children, adorned their entry with blankets

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Radford Health and Rehab decorated their beautiful tree with photos of residents in their younger days

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Sew Biz covered their tree with hand crafted ornaments

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What a fun evening, and we definitely felt the magic of the season.

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Before I close, let me tell you just a little bit about the Inn.  Located on the campus of Virginia Tech, The Inn is designed in the Collegiate Gothic style and like the other buildings on campus, is made with Hokie Stone.

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Hokie Stone is dolomite, a mineral found in the Appalachian Mountains (pronounced Ap – uh – latch – uhn) and is prevalent in Virginia, Tennessee, and Alabama.  Virginia Tech’s quarry operations produce some 50 tons of Hokie Stone per week, or about 2,500 tons per year.  Individual stonemasons shape about a ton of stone a day

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Hope you’ve found time to enjoy the magic of the season!

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Join Me on a Little Local Ride

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One of the challenges for any weekend is to somehow get all the chores on the “to do” list done, yet still find time to play.  By 3pm this past Sunday, I’d accomplished enough to be able to head out for a little local ride.  Luckily for me, local riding often means country roads, fields, lakes, and historic communities.

Dry Valley

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Claytor Lake is a reservoir of The New River, created when a hydroelectric dam was built in 1939.  I stopped for a water break and the chance to watch the geese and ducks.  It was a perfect afternoon to ride, but the bright sun made for challenging photography.

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Yes! That is a lighthouse! On the lake 🙂

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Soon it was time to ride on down to the end of the road.

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I’ve photographed this slowly decaying barn from many angles … it’s a beauty.

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From there, I rode through the community of Newbern, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  I’ve ridden through the Newbern Historic District many, many times but somehow had missed these two structures.

The Old County Jail and site of the First Courthouse of Pulaski County

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The original reservoir for the Newbern Waterworks

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A little beauty, a little history, a little photography … all seen from the bike. Not a bad way to spend a few hours.

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Train Day in Radford, Now in Color!

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Many of you agreed that a B&W format is perfect for presenting the images of a steam engine and for inspiring the feelings of nostalgia, mystery, and adventure.

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Even still, the train that visited Radford last weekend also sported pops of color.

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On the wheels, and other unknown and therefore unnamed parts underneath the train,

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on the doors and the windows,

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on the bell and lettering,

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… and by the crew members working the train that day.

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Despite the impression you might get from this gentleman’s face, the crew seemed to be having a blast, waving and smiling at the crowd as they worked.

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What a great day it was!

I’ll leave you with one final shot of our clock, set against the backdrop of historic building art, and we’ll anxiously await the return of the train in 2015.

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Those Great Steam Engines

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Adventure.  Mystery.  Romance.  History.

These words are often attributed to trains in general, and steam engines in particular.

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A passenger excursion train, pulled by a steam engine, rolled into Radford last weekend (see here).  The crowds came out to ride, see, and photograph the magnificent train.  We were lucky enough to get very close to the train, so I was on the tracks and practically under the train, seeking the best image.

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This view of water, used to create the steam, dripping down and splashing on the stairs caught my eye.

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B&W images remind us of days gone by, or days we’ve only heard of, or read about.

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The next post will feature more images, but in color.