Laurie

Art after Devastation

Black And White Photography, Laurie, Photography

Hurrcane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in August of 2005 and caused over 1800 fatalities, billions in dollars of damage, and is considered to be one of the five deadliest hurricanes to have hit the United States. The Gulf Coast’s natural spaces and places were also impacted, including dozens of Live Oaks, victims of the saltwater storm surge.

Generous chainsaw artists donated time and talent to create sculptures from the remains of dozens of these trees. See my post on Life on the Bike for more photos of these creations and links to learn about the artists.

Wave Action

Black And White Photography, Laurie, Mobile Photography, Photography

I’d not even been off the plane but a few minutes when I asked my friend to pull over so I could see the Gulf of Mexico up close. Then I saw the patterns in the sand from the waves. Oh how wonderful are the works of nature.

Room for a Family

Black And White Photography, Laurie, Mobile Photography, Photography

In my previous two posts, Hallway for the Enslaved and Where They Worked and Lived I told of visiting the Aiken-Rhett House in Charleston. Purchased by the Historic Charleston Foundation in 1975, the house is being “preserved as found” and represents a stark example of the wealthy vs the urban enslaved, c 1820s.

This image is of a windowless room that housed an entire family.

From the website we learn that “while many dependency buildings in Charleston have been demolished or adapted, the Aiken-Rhett House’s kitchen, laundry and quarters – with their original paint, floors and fixtures – survive virtually untouched since the 1850s, allowing visitors the unique chance to better comprehend the every-day realities of the enslaved Africans who lived on-site, maintained the household and catered to the needs of the Aiken family and their guests”.

Where They Worked and Lived

Black And White Photography, Laurie, Mobile Photography, Photography

In my previous post, Hallway for the Enslaved, I told of visiting the Aiken-Rhett House in Charleston. Purchased by the Historic Charleston Foundation in 1975, the house is being “preserved as found” and represents a stark example of the wealthy vs the urban enslaved, c 1820s.

From the website we learn that “while many dependency buildings in Charleston have been demolished or adapted, the Aiken-Rhett House’s kitchen, laundry and quarters – with their original paint, floors and fixtures – survive virtually untouched since the 1850s, allowing visitors the unique chance to better comprehend the every-day realities of the enslaved Africans who lived on-site, maintained the household and catered to the needs of the Aiken family and their guests”.

Hallway for the Enslaved

Black And White Photography, Laurie, Mobile Photography, Photography

While visiting family in Charleston, SC, we toured the Aiken-Rhett Museum. The house and its surviving furnishings offer a compelling portrait of urban life in antebellum Charleston. Purchased by the Historic Charleston Foundation in 1975, the house is being “preserved as found” and represents a stark example of the wealthy vs the urban enslaved, c 1820s.

I’ll be sharing more from this tour as the weeks go on, but for now this hallway connected the quarters of the enslaved as well as the kitchen and laundry.

Of course I forgot my camera, so all photos from the Aiken-Rhett Museum are from my Samsung Galaxy.

Step In Time

Black And White Photography, Laurie, Mobile Photography, Photography

The Norfolk State University Marching Band performed in the Inaugural Parade for Governor Abigail Spanberger in January. “Founded in 1975, the award winning Norfolk State University Spartan “Legion” Marching Band located in Norfolk, VA, has made a name for itself as one of the premier Marching Bands in the country. The “Legion” consists of 250 staff and student musicians, dancers, and flags from states nationwide”. This high energy, exciting marching band played “We Are Family” for the newly inaugurated, 75th and First Woman Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

To see more images and a recap of the day, visit Life on the Bike