Exploring East: Travels Along the Atlantic States – Gettysburg + 150 Years

Jul23

After a wonderful trip to New England, it was reluctantly time to head south. Instead of more or less tracking along interstate 95, we took a detour to the pastoral Pennsylvania farmland to visit Gettysburg. Though we were not able to make the 150th anniversary, we arrived at the tail end of the week marking the pivotal battle of the American Civil War. As a photographer and graphic designer, the history of the above 1863 photo, superimposed onto one of my own photographs, is fascinating and scary. If you thought photo manipulation was a modern invention, you would be wrong. Today, it’s a simple task to take a photo, add a person here or remove a piece of the background there. But in 1863, battlefield photographers had their own approach. The dead man in this famous picture “The home of a Rebel Sharpshooter” , captured by Alexander Gardner has recently been discovered to be a staged photograph. The soldier is believed to have fallen over 300 feet away, his body along with his rifle (not a sharpshooter’s rifle as the title would suggest) were moved by blanket to this pile of defensive rocks raised between two boulders in Devil’s Den.

In total, over 170,000 troops amassed to wage war in the sleepy little farm town of Gettysburg, PA. It all began on July 1st, 1863 when confederate troops descended from the north, while Federal troops amassed from the south. When the battle ended three bloody days later, 7,863 men lay dead in the fields, and another 27,224 wounded were spread throughout the region in churches, schools, barns and homes converted into makeshift field hospitals.

The above two photos capture the area known ever since the was as The Angle – the site of the last desperate Confederate push to turn the day. With the Federal troops positioned on a rise, with fences and a stone wall between them and the advancing Confederate line, it was a bloodbath. The Confederate losses were staggering – the casualty rate was over 50%. Pickett’s division alone had 2,655 casualties. It was a bloody affair.

Though our visit was all to quick, the somber memory and ghostly quiet of the battlefield will stay with me for quite some time. And, on a brighter note, enjoy the photos – and of course, feel free to download as HD desktop wallpaper below!

Copyright 2013 Deremer Studios – Jacksonville, FL
*Statistics courtesy Wikipedia
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Fine Art Series – Travels North Part 9: En Route

Aug8

Done! Well sort of. This is the last post from the PA portion of our trip – specifically the Pennsylvania exit portion. While working our way toward Virginia, we decided to take a few of those roads less traveled that Robert Frost is always talking about. Our reward was a great cornucopia of small town cameos – including the great old milk truck above, an old and forgotten church, a steam-era roundhouse, and lots of other great little snippets of Americana. Here are a few of my favorite shots. Enjoy – and of course, feel free to download as a desktop wallpaper!

Fine Art Series – Travels North Part 8: Restoring Bedford Springs

Aug7

Photo of original framed photograph at Bedford Springs Circa 1886

While in PA, we took a quick trip to Bedford, PA to explore the newly renovated Bedford Springs Resort. 1796 Marked the beginning of this wonderful resort, when Doctor John Anderson purchased a 2,200 acre parcel where these noteworthy springs bubbled to the surface. Soon, people the world over came to visit these enchanting waters. By the early 1800s, a hotel was built and over the next 100 years, expanded exponentially – encompassing much of the footprint you see today. Unfortunately, in the 1980s, the resort was closed and quickly fell into disrepair. However, this would not be the last chapter for this storied resort.

In 1998, the resort was purchased and an extensive restoration and expansion was begun. In 2007, the resort opened its doors again for the first time in over 20 years. As you can see from the photos below, the resort certainly retains its old Victorian charm – taking guests back to a slower, more leisurely time. Here are a few of my favorite shots. Enjoy – and of course, feel free to download as a desktop wallpaper!

Fine Art Series – Travels North Part 7: Old Timer’s Tour

Aug6

Part of our grand northern tour was the Deremer Family Reunion in the mountain region of PA. On our first full day there, the patriarchs of the family (otherwise known as Pops and The Bill) took us on a driving trip down memory lane – visiting places of their childhood and a wonderfully scenic view of central PA. Of course, we brought a camera. And this is what we found…

The day concluded with a trip to the Ravers Gap Annual Ice Cream Festival. Not only was there some amazing fresh-churned ice cream, but also a great bluegrass band and more than a few Mennonite folk. Though I live in a city, I am a big fan of small town life – especially great community events such as these. There are few things more enjoyable than a cool summer evening, great food, wonderful entertainment and an amazing feeling of community. Here are a few of my favorite shots. Enjoy – and of course, feel free to download as a desktop wallpaper!