Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/03/23
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I was thinking the same thing this morning. I was a crippled man in September and could barely get to the communion rail. My new knees make me able to go where I want. Good for you! > Easter Sunday morning is a good time for solving mysteries, and > today's Sunday Shot is the answer to a puzzle. When I first sent out > a picture of these ruins several weeks ago I had no idea about their > name or history. One of our fellow LUGGERs, John Braun, who lives in > Columbia, MD, suggested that I contact the Talbot County Historical > Society where the church is located. My friend Ray Hardy, one of the > world's distinguished cello makers saw the picture. ( His son David > is the Principal Cellist of the National Symphony Orchestra, by the > way.) Ray is also an excellent photographer. He showed the picture to > two friends of his, David Crandel, who is a professional > photographer, and The Rev. Lyle Buck, a Presbyterian minister. The > three of them formed a team to track down the story of this ruin. Ray > got in touch with Ms. Beth Hanson, the Curator of the Talbot County > Historical Society. She knew the answer. > > These are the ruins of St. John's Episcopal Church. They are located > on the Miles River, in Unionville, MD, not far from the town of St. > Michael's. The chrch was built in the 1830's, and was in regular use > through the late 1890's when the congregation declined. It was closed > in the early 1900's when several people were injured as some pieces > of the ceiling fell on them during services. The church has been > deconsecrated for the past century. > > I am sending this picture today because it is also become my own > personal Easter story. In 1990 I was in a serious bicycle accident. I > broke my hip and pelvis. Complications developed. My hip became very > arthritic and I became so lame that I had a lot of trouble walking > even short distances, though I tried not to let in get in the way of > my photography. (Edward Weston is reputed to have said, "If it's more > than 100 feet from the car it's not scenic!" Believe me, I know > exactly what he meant.) Last July I had my hip replaced. What makes > this picture an Easter story is that I took it with my Leica M8 with > my 24mm f 2.8 Elmar lying on my stomach in the muddy grass. I took > seven or eight different shots from this perspective. I had no > trouble crawling around or getting up an down. Weather or not this > was a prudent thing for someone who will be 65 in a few weeks to be > doing is different question! :-) This is my Easter Sunday picture > because there is no way in the world I could have taken this picture > six months ago. My new hip is a gift of Biblical proportions. > > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Barney/St_Johns.jpg.html > > Comments and Criticisms Welcome! > > Barney > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > -- Regards, Sonny http://www.sonc.com Natchitoches, Louisiana USA