Carol and I got up at an ungodly hour yesterday, 5:30 a.m., to scoot across the border into the U.S. to take photos of tulips at the annual Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. I took our Diana F+, my Canon Powershot G5 and my iPhone with its Hipstamatic camera application. I haven’t seen the photos from the Diana as they haven’t been developed yet, the Canon’s photos were so-so, but the iPhone captured this:
Not too shabby even if I do say so myself.
Carol got plenty of great pics, some of which she’s posted on her blog.
by Mike Browne on December 20, 2009
in gratitude
As mentioned in my last post I have been scanning photos and postcards from a very old album that was obtained by a friend of ours at a local estate sale. The album, it turns out, belonged to a woman from Vancouver named Jean M. Story. In 1938, she traveled with one or more people across Canada to Quebec and through Europe documenting her trip with photos and postcards. She saw pre World War II versions of the Republic of Czechoslovakia, Germany, France, England and Ireland.
It has been fascinating following along, but I wondered why, I of all people would be doing this project. Then I came across her photos of Winchester Cathedral in England. One photo immediately stood out. It is of a tombstone in the cemetery adjacent to the Cathedral. The text of the tombstone is as follows:
In Memory of Thomas Thetcher
a Grenadier in the North Regiment of Hants Militia, who died of a violent Fever contracted by drinking Small Beer when hot, the 12th of May 1764, Aged 26 Years.
In grateful remembrance of whose universal good will towards his Comrades, this Stone is placed here at their expence, as a finall testimony of their regard and concern.
Here sleeps in peace a Hampshire Grenadier Who caught his death by drinking cold small Beer. Soldiers be wise from his untimely fall,
And when ye’re hot drink Strong or none at all.
This memorial being decayed was restored by the Officers of the Garrison A.D. 1781 An Honest Soldier never is forgot, Whether he die by Musket or by Pot.
The Stone was replaced by the North Hants Militia when disembodied at Winchester on 16th April, 1802 in consequence of the original Stone being destroyed.
This is a very significant find for me and many of my friends for personal reasons. Of note, this stone was once again replaced in 1966, making this photo even more meaningful. It would have been standing during World War I when a young American doughboy on furlough was so moved by it that he wrote about it years later in one of the most important books I have ever read.
I’ll tell you privately what it was if you want to ask, and will delete any comments that identify the book or it’s author. Sorry for the mystery but it is in keeping with tradition. It’s easy enough to find out if you are familiar with Google.
Thanks Jean M. Story, where ever you are. What a neat find.
Our friend Mark picked up an old photo album at an estate sale that he went to last year. For some reason he gave it to us. It has been sitting in Carol’s office gathering more dust for the past months. After a visit from another creative friend last week I felt inspired to deal with it.
I have decided to scan the photos and postcards within to try and determine who the creator was, what their lives were like, where they traveled and perhaps learn a little bit. Oddly enough there are many pages with no photos or photos missing. I presume this is where the photos of people used to live as there are not many faces in this album. It sort of adds to the mystique.
So I have set up my special scanning station at the kitchen table for this undertaking.
This is the set up I am using to import the photos so I can share them. From left to right on the table are the photo album, MacBook Pro and a Brother MFC-210C scanner. On the chair is my assistant, Oscar Madison Bigglesworth Browne.
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