Becky Lynn Grover and Professor John Telford, Visual Arts
As the pioneer settlers came to the west, they spread out into all of the mountain valleys. They came with a faith in God burning bright in their souls. This faith would be tested as they braved the harsh winters and short growing seasons. They built many structures that bear the mark of their craftsmanship. These buildings have been an inspiration and in a way they are a memorial to them. I hope that others will be reminded of the great deeds of our forefathers.
As a young girl, I grew up on a small ranch/farm in Bear Lake, Idaho. Some of my favorite places to play were around old barns and homestead sites which were on my father’s land and that of our neighbors’. They were great places to feed creativity for an imaginative young girl. I returned to photograph them last summer and to my dismay, many and been torn down and destroyed. It motivated me to make a photographic record of these last relics of our pioneer history, which are fast fading away in today’s fast paced world. In fact this barn pictured was torn down a short time after I made this image. I had returned to photograph it and again was very disappointed. (Right)
When viewers see this work, I hope that it has an impact upon them. I want the images to preserve the memory if not the buildings of these people and what they were like. The Western landscape is full of some things that are quite unique. For example, the first settlement homes ever built in this region unlike other areas of the world which have been settled and resettled for many years. What we see of most societies is at the high point. We do not have the first building blocks. The primitive house was all that protected these early settlers against the harsh land and deep winters. The feeling of stepping back in time to imagine what it took to bring such prosperity to into this land will be a rewarding photographic challenge. The sacrifices and trials of these heros have given a rich heritage to the decedents who enjoy living in this inter-mountain area. These forgotten homes are the symbols of the importance of the family. The family had to be united in their struggle to settle the land. They relied on one another to build up communities. These communities became the towns and cities we enjoy today.
I have compiled and prepared a photography exhibit of pioneer historical buildings and sites in the Inter-mountain west. These include homesteads, old Latter-Day Saint chapels, tabernacles, and schools. I spent many hours searching for the most expressive buildings to represent the essentials of the community. This took much of my time and was difficult to carry heavy equipment through sagebrush. These were printed in the historic Kallitype photographic process to maintain authenticity of the work.
The Kallitype process is an elusive process and difficult to render constantly. This is a historic process from the year 1889. This is today considered an alternative process that adds a unique quality to the image. It produces a beautiful brown print on hand coated paper which will help communicate the feeling of antiquity. The nature of this process requires a large negative for contact printing. I obtained these by using a large format 8X10 Deardorff camera. After obtaining a suitable negative, paper must be coated with a solution of light sensitive material containing silver. After the paper has dried, it is then placed behind the negative in a contact printing frame. It can either be exposed by sun light or a variety of lamps like a black light. After the paper has been exposed, it will need to be run through a few solutions of chemicals to develop, clear, and fix the photograph for permanence. It also took a great deal of time to prefect skills in this process but all the same I found it very rewarding. The final show was a series eight to ten high quality Kallitype prints in 16X20 white matts. The frames were wooden and of cedar and stained a beautiful brown color so they harmonize with the prints’ brown tones. This added to the antiquity of the presentation. It was a beautiful presentation.
As much of my time was spent in learning the process and perfecting skills, I was very pressed when it came time to prepare the exhibit. My husband was very helpful in this, for he built the word frames. It was a challenge to find a suitable wood that would not be too expensive. Cedar was our final choice and proved to be good. There were also many other difficulties that were overcome and the final show was very satisfying. I showed this work in two places. The work was displayed as part of the B.F.A. senior exhibit from August 2-13th, 2004. The other place was in Zions Bank in Montpelier, ID. I plan to show this work in many places yet to come.
This project at least provides a photographic record of the pioneers’ settlements. And perhaps it will influence others to take a more active roll in preserving these great sites. The idea of photographing old buildings is not new. Nearly everyone who has caught the photography fever has at least one photograph of an old barn. There are the big name photographers as well who have taken the interest in quaint buildings. Ansel Adams was very interested in the texture and patterns of old wooden structures. He focused his attention on simple form and design. Edward Weston in his work with architecture stepped back to view the environmental relationship the building reflected. He has many images exploring the composition and placement of building in the respective landscape. The quality of his work is outstanding. Morley Baer is another photographer that I admire. I took much of my inspiration from these great men and many others that I admire.
To conclude in researching, the technical issues, historical precedents, and philosophies were a great help in making the actual project higher quality and have more depth. In the actual doing of the project I did find obstacles but none that I had not foreseen at least to a small degree. I learned from the challenges that were presented and am deeply grateful for the opportunity that ORCA added me in this experience. This project has a great importance to many who wish not to lose their heritage. It has been said that it is not nearly enough to know names of ones ancestors but know their stories and all that we can. I believe that this project will continue to give many a new insight and appreciation for our pioneer heritage.