Old Photos and History----Ann's

I have always been fascinated by photos that have a certain historical bent. For instance, we have a book of old shots taken in the west prior to 1900, Many are of cowboys and even covered wagons. Indians in some instances but what I find interesting about them is that the setting the shots were taken in are still very much there. The individuals might be long gone but the setting, be it in the Black Hills or Cameron Trial are still unchanged at least in a geological sense.

 As a result of this it is still possible to go there and take a shot, of say yourself, standing in exact same spot, maybe even posturing in the same way some noble warrior was next to say Pike's Peak. It would be some work to find the exact locations because they might be altered, or they might be genuinely hard to find. One might need someone who is very familiar with an area.

There is a famous painting done in about 1860 on the Cashe la Poudre in northern Colorado. There are also some good prints of this painting around. I believe the title is something to the affect of Looking West from the Cashe la Poudre. Having lived in that area, it is easy to recognize some of the land marks in the painting. In fact, I have some times thought I was close to the spot but never had the painting in hand to compare it while in the spot. Still I found this interesting to have "been there".

 There have been many old photos I have seen and recognize the spots and wanted to go there and retake one of me doing the same things and replicating the photo even to the point of using the same sized lens. Actually, a guy by the name of Fielder in Denver has done this but he didn't put me in the shots---loser. I would not be interested in doing any of me in old porno shots but it is a thought--few were done in outdoor settings anyway. 

Tonight, I was going through some old shots taken in Paris by Ann's parents. Of course, there is cute little Ann standing ever so prim in her blue coat . Because the spot of the photo is easily recognized (Arc de Triomphe) it would be great fun to go there and take another shot with her in it--might even include a bike like the one against the wall.

Interestingly, Hitler may have also strutted down the same road 10 years earlier all puffed up for over-running the French. Probably a lot of history on this street (rue), French painters, writers, prostitutes, everything one can imagine.