A terrible image

I started a new job in January, in StJohns, Worcester and I've actually become quite fond of StJohns, its nothing special at all, but there's something about it.
While I was researching for my dissertation a few years ago I came across a reference to a very unusual monument in StJohns church that I have been meaning to go and look for for the past 3 years and now I work down the road from the church I really have no excuse!

I wasn't even sure it would still be there, as I couldn't find much about it online, but I went to have a look, and there it was in the porch of the church and it took my breath away, it's absolutely stunning.
The monument is to the two sons of Thomas Hopkins, a hop merchant in the city, his eldest son John died in January 1871.
Thomas Hopkins had the monument made to include a photograph of the dead boy, aged 14 when he died, the photograph was taken by Francis Charles Earl of Worcester Broad Street, the image is large, 6 by 13 inches and is set in a monument with stone angels and a plaque to John and his younger brother Jonathon who died a few years after John at the age of 2.

I am currently reading the fantastic book 'The English Way of Death' by Julian Litten and the book includes a little bit about the image and he describes it beautifully

"Although he was obviously placed carefully on the sofa, the freshly pomaded hair is awry and could have benefited from a comb prior to being photographed. It is a terrible image, the child so patently dead and cold. Yet perhaps Thomas Hopkins and his wife took some solace in so commemorating the death of their eldest son" 

I photographed the monument and almost didn't want to leave afterwards, it really is so beautiful and completely heartbreaking.

Where have all the flowers gone?

Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time ago
Girls have picked them every one
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the young girls gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the young girls gone?
Long time ago
Taken husbands every one
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the young men gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the young men gone?
Long time ago
Gone for soldiers every one
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the soldiers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Long time ago
Gone to graveyards every one
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the graveyards gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Long time ago
Covered with flowers every one
When will we ever learn?

words and music by Pete Seeger

Bodie California 'Ghost Town' Photograph by Masja Stolk 

Civil War

I have long been fascinated by the beautiful and terrible images created in the American Civil war, one of my favourite websites www.shorpy.com has a stunning collection of Civil War photographs.

April 1865. "Cold Harbor, Virginia. Collecting remains of dead on the battlefield after the war." Memento mori. Wet plate by John Reekie.

September 1862. "Antietam, Maryland. Confederate dead by a fence on the Hagerstown road." The first major battle of the Civil War on Union territory. Wet plate glass negative.

"1865. Charleston, South Carolina. Vendue Range looking east from near the corner of East Bay Street." Aftermath of the Great Fire of 1861 and bombardment by the Federal Navy. Wet plate glass negative

August 1863. Bealeton, Va. "Capt. Henry Page, assistant quartermaster, at Army of Potomac headquarters with horse." Wet plate glass negative.

He Sleeps Where He Fell 1864 Dead Confederate soldier near Mrs. Alsop's house." Wet-plate glass negative by Timothy H. O'Sullivan. Photos from Grant's Wilderness Campaign, May-June 1864.

1865. "City Point, Virginia. Brig. Gen. John A. Rawlins, wife and child at Grant's headquarters." Wet plate glass negative, photographer unknown.

July 1863. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. "John L. Burns, the 'old hero of Gettysburg,' with gun and crutches." Burns, born ca. 1793, was a 70-year-old veteran of the War of 1812 when he was wounded in the Battle of Gettysburg, having volunteered his services as a sharpshooter to the Federal Army. He died of pneumonia in 1872. Wet-plate glass negative by Timothy H. O'Sullivan. 

April 3, 1865. Petersburg, Virginia. "Dead Confederate soldier in trenches of Fort Mahone." Wet plate glass negative, right half of stereo pair, by Thomas C. Roche. Civil War glass negative collection, Library of Congress.

These amazing images make me think of this Beautiful song 'Hills of Shiloh' sung here by Bud and Travis



Be sure to check out www.shorpy.com for so many more amazing images.

I will be back!

I feel I've been neglecting this blog lately, I've recently started a new job and my modelling is going from strength to strength, but I have plenty of things to post here over the next few months.

I love these collage images by French Poet and Screenwriter Jacques Prevert, I love them, especially the first one.

                                                                           La Lune

Babies Skulls

Last week I got my fine liners out again, for the first time in a long while, I was inspired by an amazing shop I found in Hay on Wye full of natural history themed antiques, ephemera and artwork.

I decided to try some skull drawings, looking at antique anatomical drawings as inspiration.

I think I will get some little prints of these done.

 

Afraid of Thunderstorms

Florence Irene Ford 

Sept 3rd 1861 - Oct 30th 1871

Ten-year-old Florence died of yellow fever. 

During her life she had been incredibly frightened of storms and whenever one occurred she would rush to her mother for reassurance.

Upon Florence's death her mother was so grief stricken that she had Florence's casket constructed with a glass window at the child’s head, furthermore when the grave was dug, she had a set of steps installed so she could descend to her daughters level and look into the grave through a thick glass window. Whenever there was a storm she would go and sit by her daughter to comfort her.
After the mothers death the glass wall was replaced with concrete, but you can still go down the steps to Florence's grave.

Renwal's Visible Head and Visible man

Earlier in the week I had a flashback to my childhood, randomly remembering the anatomy models my Dad kept in the loft when me and brother were younger.

They'd be brought down every so often, smelling musty with yellowed plastic outer casing, and we'd play with them for a bit before they went back up the ladder into the loft. I hadn't seen these for years, but with my interest in vintage toys and medical items I was really keen to see them again, even though they don't really class as toys as they are a nightmare to put together, especially the head! one wrong movement and his jaw falls off and the teeth go clattering all over the floor!

I asked my Dad about them, intending to have them as decorative items in the flat I hope to move into next year, he managed to dig them out of the loft after wondering if he might have thrown them away in the many loft clear outs hes had over the years, luckily they were all still intact along with the instruction leaflets. The Visible Man and the Visible Head were originally bought in the late 50s as kits to paint and put together, you could also get visible woman, visible dog, visible horse and possibly more. My Dad was given them when he was 12, painted and made them up, so I am thrilled we still have them and they can take pride of place when I have my own flat.