Wednesday, June 17, 2009



These photos were taken on the grounds of the re enactment I attended a couple of weeks ago. The original schoolhouse pictured here is still used by students at the university. I would love to take a class in one of these old schoolhouses.

I had this feeling that all of the concepts, discussions and the idealistic hopes of the students even a century ago were still echoing in this room as I sat there listening by candlelight about how education has evolved or some would think ....devolved over the past century. No audio visual enhancements, no computers just a slate and precious few books handed down from one generation to the next.

This was quite a different environment than the one room schoolhouse I posted last month near the Little Greenbriar stream in the Smokies. Education at this institution must have been far from the minds of the settlers making do with hand cut logs to sit on. This classroom didn't just teach readin', wrtin' and rithmetic...European philosophy, British Poetry and Political Science were the topics discussed within these walls.

The black and white image for me conveys the ghosts of schoolmasters who frequented these rooms in the past. Their spirit...if not their presence is still here with us.

13 comments:

Cynthia L. H. said...

Ooooh! Yes! There are points about them both that I like, but I LOVE the first one!!!

septembermom said...

Amazing photos. The first one really conveys a sense of presence in that room dedicated to learning. I love how your photos push us to think about larger social or human issues. Your accompanying prose makes me stop to think so often. Thanks, Dan!

Dan Felstead said...

Cynthia...
Thanks, sometimes I can't decide which to post...the B and W or the color versions. They both convey a different feeling.

Dan

Dan Felstead said...

Thanks Septembermom....
I appreciate your thoughts on the narratives. I always want to have two parts to my images...the image itself and the backstory that accompanies it.
Thanks again,

Dan

headchange said...

Yes the black and white is my pick also.
I felt from it a sense of seeing the room through the eyes of a spirit who remains there.

headchange said...

should have read....."felt from it"
sorry

Dan Felstead said...

HeadChange...
Welcome to the blog and thanks for following as well! Stop back by anytime.

I knew when I took the photo that the schoolmaster would be blurry due to the low lighting and movement...but the result does offer up a feeling (at least for me) of presence from years past.

Dan

Unknown said...

I like them both, but I love the first one! I am enchanted by your photos that look like ghosts. Great job!

PS - if you get a personal email from me on my hotmail account, don't open it. Someone hiijacked my account and sent out mass spam mail!

Dan Felstead said...

Bobbi...
Thanks for the heads up...I did get an email from you and it looked like spam so I didn't open it...I figured you got hijacked because I knew you wouldn't spam.

It is a damn shame that people use an account like this but I don't think there is any viable way to avoid it from time to time. At least among our blogging community, we know the folks that post and we know they are not about spamming. Sorry about the hijack!

Dan

shabby girl said...

You do have a way of bringing a photograph to life!
Congratulations on your "Headlines" on PPP! Thank God they come back around eventually! I was smiling the whole time I was reading it!

Dan Felstead said...

Thanks Shabbygirl!

I appreciate your comment about the photos and thanks for the comment about PPP...I enjoyed that one as I wrote it...it is true and it sounds like you have been there as well! It sure feels good once you know that you have regained your status among humanity!

Dan

Kateri Joe and Jonathan said...

Wow, a long exposure did wonders for these shots! Both speak for your talent! And that's SO cool that they have classes in that building! That has to be a time warp for the students, for sure, haha.

Dan Felstead said...

Kateri..
It would be a treat to be a student and have a history class in the room...it would put you right in the mood of the moment!

Dan