The day was clear, the sky a deep midwinter blue. The December solstice just passed and the sun seemed reluctant to heave itself very far above the horizon. Even near midday the shadows were long and deep.
We are at Stagville, one of the largest plantations in the pre-Civil War South. Located in Durham County in north-central North Carolina. The holdings included over 900 enslaved people and 30,000 acres of land. Crops ranged from cotton to subsistence farming to tobacco.
An ancient walnut tree casts its tentacle-like shadow over one of the slave quarters at Horton Grove.
“Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.”
___Abraham Lincoln
The day is quiet and still. We are alone with the eerie, long shadows, and our thoughts. Imagining what life was like here a century and a half ago. Is that wood smoke I smell from the cook fires? Am I hearing spirituals in the distance being softly sung by the women? No, just the shadows of the past and my imagination.
:The light in winter is most varied; there are days when it’s clear and bright, carving the earth into light and shadow like a razor. Yet, at times, the light can be soft and quiet as a whisper…”
___Peter Fiore
Outbuildings, many falling into disrepair, are being reclaimed by nature. Are those the fingerprints of slaves we see in the chinking between the logs?
A plantation this size requires huge barns to house and feed the mules and store the equipment.
Life was good in the big house.
Though temporary.
“I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape – the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn’t show. “
___Andrew Wyeth
Colline
8 Feb 2015Beautiful photos. The choice of b&w brings out the desolation of the building.
fotograffer
9 Feb 2015Thanks Colline. I thought B&W best told the story. I am happy you enjoyed the post.
anotherday2paradise
8 Feb 2015What a wonderful photo essay, Ron. The B&W is so effective in bringing out the shadows of the past. What a tale those slave quarters and the big house could tell. The graveyard also has its own story to tell. I enjoyed the quotes you chose, especially the Abraham Lincoln.
fotograffer
9 Feb 2015I’m sure you are right. There are many stories there that will never be told, but not hard to imagine. “Shadow of the past.” I really like that. Thanks, as always, Sylvia.
Tina Schell
10 Feb 2015These are wonderful Ron – I love the way you’ve used the shadows and B&W to create the eeriness of the scenes. Never seen the Lincoln quote, which is SO perfect!
fotograffer
13 Feb 2015While Stagville is a special place, it was the day and the shadows that made it all come together photographically. As always, thank you Tina.
Bess Jones
11 Feb 2015Masterful shots. Very well done. 🙂
fotograffer
13 Feb 2015Thank you so much Bess. The day and the place were special. Thanks for stopping by.
Bess Jones
14 Feb 2015My pleasure. 🙂
jakesprinter
11 Feb 2015Beautiful photography my friend 🙂
fotograffer
13 Feb 2015Thanks Jake.
jakesprinter
13 Feb 2015https://jakesprinters.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/happy-valentines-day-from-jake.gif
Madhu
17 Feb 2015So, so beautiful!! Love the closing shot with that scrap of fabric stuck in the nail.
fotograffer
4 Mar 2015Thank you Madhu. The fabric on the nail is actually a recently shed snake skin, city girl. 🙂
Madhu
4 Mar 2015Oops! 😉
Dalo 2013
21 Feb 2015These are some great shots… I am not sure what it is, although you do allude to it at the beginning of your post, but the mood, environment of this place looks cold, a dead of winter feel and I think perhaps it is the long shadows that bring it out along with the contrast you create with your B&W. Add to this the history of the place and it is an incredible scene to see (and I am sure photograph).
fotograffer
4 Mar 2015Thank you Randall. The day, strong sunlight, and the setting made for some great shooting. An overcast day and the look would be totally different.