Seen Better Days
In the little white house to the left of the laundromat lived a little old lady named Ida Mae. While photographing the beautiful old patina and signage of the decrepit building, Ida Mae came out of her house to see what I was up to. Upon informing her of my desire to record historic structures and to post them so that others around the world can see and appreciate them, she began to recount to me the entire history of the place and of how she and her deceased husband ran the business for years and were able to live next door and raise their family while doing so. This is in extreme southern Illinois where the southern dialect prevails and Ida Mae sure had a charming one. Her southern hospitality was on full display as she recounted her years of involvement with the old laundromat. When I left finally, I began to realize that I was more moved by the charm of this old southern lady than I was by the exceedingly photogenic structure I came here to record. All old objects have a human story. Sometimes we get to see it and hear it as we go about our photographic adventures. This very image shows forth the importance of our work. We are no less involved in social documentation than Dorothea Lange in her work during the thirties with the dust bowl refugees. The signage on this humble historic structure is now long gone and so is Ida Mae. The current owners have completely remodeled the old building destroying the old signage and patina in the process. Let us pause to reflect on the importance of our work and salute the lives of the working people that have made it possible. God bless you Ida Mae. Heaven holds a place for those who pray.
Seen Better Days
In the little white house to the left of the laundromat lived a little old lady named Ida Mae. While photographing the beautiful old patina and signage of the decrepit building, Ida Mae came out of her house to see what I was up to. Upon informing her of my desire to record historic structures and to post them so that others around the world can see and appreciate them, she began to recount to me the entire history of the place and of how she and her deceased husband ran the business for years and were able to live next door and raise their family while doing so. This is in extreme southern Illinois where the southern dialect prevails and Ida Mae sure had a charming one. Her southern hospitality was on full display as she recounted her years of involvement with the old laundromat. When I left finally, I began to realize that I was more moved by the charm of this old southern lady than I was by the exceedingly photogenic structure I came here to record. All old objects have a human story. Sometimes we get to see it and hear it as we go about our photographic adventures. This very image shows forth the importance of our work. We are no less involved in social documentation than Dorothea Lange in her work during the thirties with the dust bowl refugees. The signage on this humble historic structure is now long gone and so is Ida Mae. The current owners have completely remodeled the old building destroying the old signage and patina in the process. Let us pause to reflect on the importance of our work and salute the lives of the working people that have made it possible. God bless you Ida Mae. Heaven holds a place for those who pray.