Lensbaby

A barn that is very short for this world. A barn that I pass every morning on my way to work. I always envisioned the bustle of tobacco production, and the early morning work as I pass. Well the other morning an obituary sign had been posted in front of it, or should I say a mini billboard telling of the impending doom for this great piece of local history... The barn adjacent to it was torn to a heap about a year ago, and the one directly across the street is on the short list as well...urban sprawl at its worst! I have a few more to post at some point of this barn.

The interior window shots are from the top barn, and the barn in the window is the bottom barn which is about 75 yards behind the first, along with a small barn to its right! We are barn rich in my county! I try not to take that for granted. Fun fact - These barns are in Upper Marlboro, Maryland USA, the namesake of the Marlboro cigarettes and Marlboro man!

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Dennis

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/12/2005 02:12AM by eHolga.

Image size was incorrect, here is the correct size...

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Dennis

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

The barn wide and interior details..

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Dennis

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

window detail

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Dennis

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

more interior

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Dennis

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

last ones...

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Dennis

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

I'm looking for a gun-toting cowboy to come sauntering out of the first scene.

Wonderful body of work.

-Craig

You could not step twice into the same rivers; for other waters are ever flowing on to you.
Heraclitus of Ephesus

So, Dennis, What is actually going to happen to this barn that you got us to love? Is it doomed? Oh how sad. Do you want us to sign a petition or something to keep it?

Lovely and very emotional images for me.

Thank you for posting.

Ta

I like the b/w treatment of this very much. Its a well composed--and executed (since I know how difficult it is to get 'just' the right focus area selected) image.

Diane

Craig - Thanks! I thought I heard the infamous cowboy whistle while lurking in the barn...

Ta - this is the fifth different barn that I have posted over the months. And a first for this one. Unfortunately not much can be done at this point, but thanks for the offer! It will be torn down and huge housing development will be built , reminiscent of a Monolopy game board. Thank you for the offer of help.

Glad to hear you feel for the barn, as the history of these barns are rich and deep. If only the barns could talk! Thanks again.

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Dennis

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Diane - Thanks! I didn't recogonize your name so I looked at your postings and all are very classy!

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Dennis

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

awesome !!!

oliver

[olivertudorasphoto.jimdo.com]



"some people make the world special just by being in it "

Dennis,

Thank you for this body of photographs. As a tobacco farmer's daughter and now tobacco farmer's wife, I feel your compassion. I do belive it is your heart that makes your vision so strong! Record all you can - while you can!

For the hard working farmers everywhere I thank you.

Pam

Dennis

Great stuff.

My tastes lean towards the windows you have captured as my faves, particularly windowsfromthepast - love the creepers growing around the windows.

Cool.

Thanks

Very tasty Dennis. I love past and weeds. Great eye on all these shots.
The presentation on circa 1900s is very nice as well. My grandfather and father have built houses their whole lives and it's nice to see the old buildings. Back when a 2x4 was actually 2 by 4, or bigger! Gonna have to venture out and get some of these. Lots of old ghost towns in Colorado.

Thanks for sharing and it's a shame it's coming down.

Peace and Happiness
AJ

[www.flickr.com]

I enjoyed these images so much, Dennis! Your feeling for the barns comes right through the images to me. Thank you.

Lenore

Dennis.....these images tie us to the past and we all hate to see these pastorial areas disappear to be replaced by the urban landscape, but progress and a higher need is at hand.

As the sailing ships of old were replaced by mammoth cargo containers, so goes family farming operations until the next gneration will look in awe at what their families use to do to make ends meet and all the open space they had to take care of, will soon amount to only highrise condos stacked high in the sky.

New York City is a very interesting place to go and see because it's so urban awesome, but I don't particularly want to see that kind of environment totally replace the country atmosphere and small burgs, but it happened in most of the urban areas of California and it's coming to a city near YOU....Yikes !

As a side note to this disappearing barn scenario, the barn I posted "Whats in Back".......a temporary fence was erected today, the racoons evicted and a group of suits were seen eyeballing the property, I don't want to see a new TacoBell go in or whatever, but it's time to move on......:(

I love all these pictures, especially the windows. Thanks for sharing these wonderful images.

I love all these pictures, especially the windows and the inside showing the baskets. Thanks for sharing these wonderful images.

I've been super-busy this past month and have been inactive on this forum. Then, I return tonight to see this fantastic series. Great work.

--tom

beautiful...as a past carpenter i really love the interior stuff... especially the barn pegs and rafter detail...so rare to see such nice details now...

larry

these images are beautiful .wonderful work!

joe

Powerful commentary on what we do to our history Dennis. Wonderful series.

Marianne

WOW! Thanks for the hearfelt comments everyone! I thought I might be over posting my welcome on the barns...guess not.

VA Girl - where are your barns shots? Tobacco drying? Tell us the story from seed to sale! I have always wanted to document that, but like the barns, the tobaccy farmers are a dying (figuratively) breed. Here in Maryland the state is paying farmers NOT to grow the 'baccer so it is difficult to find 'em growing around these parts.

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Dennis

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/14/2005 05:14AM by eHolga.

Dennis,

Most of my tobacco photos were taken pre-LB... Give me a little time and I'll see what I can do after Christmas!

Our barns are very different from your's... here we raise mostly flue and dark tobacco... very little air-cured or Maryland tobacco. The flue is harvested leaf by leaf and cured by heat, originally wood, then oil, now gas. The old wood barns are what have the character. The dark tobacco is cut by the stalk and smoked in barns or sometimes air cured on field structures. A lot of hand labor with both types of tobacco.

With the buy-out, many of our producers have stopped raising tobacco also, so those photo ops will be limited.

I recently viewed a wonderful photography showing - "From the Seed to the Hand", which documented the tobacco season from planting thru the harvest and sale of tobacco and finally to the auction of the farm. It was very well done.

Here are two of my earlier photos....(both pre-LB photos)

Pam



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/14/2005 06:39AM by Va girl.

Pam....those are very evocative. The boketh on "sale" is especially focused harmonious to the sweet spot....a delightful piece of art.

:)

Pam - Awesome shots, I am with ole' Randy on his comments on the sale! These are exactly what I want to capture! The tobacco auction warehouses in Upper Marlboro are still there, but not sure if they are active. I will have to lurk on them to see what I can find! Until then I will see vicariously through your eyes! Waiting to see more...Thanks for sharing!

Got home last night and started to read the local county paper, and low and behold there was a story on Barn PRESERVATION in southern maryland.

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Dennis

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Dennis, awesome barn photographs. I really appreciate your composition in the window corner images. Impressive collection of a great old barn.

Pam, I like yours, too. The bridle image is wonderful.


John
[www.newmediabrew.com]

Thanks John and Dennis. I take both your comments to the bank!

Dennis, check around about the tobacco sales. One of our producers is also a dealer and I hear him speak of working the Maryland sales this time of year or maybe early January. I don't know if they now sell strictly by contract or if some of the old fashioned auction markets still operate. Both are interesting to photograph, but the auction has the character just like the old barns. When I get back to work next week, I'll do a little checking and send an update. (If you can locate your local USDA Farm Service Agency, they should know the sales schedules - times and places.) Go for it Dennis, there is nothing like it!

I had wondered if barm preservation was active in your area. That would be a positive element in this process we call urban progress! If/when your barn does come down, perhaps documenting the process would be interesting and worthwile.

Dennis, like I said, these are both pre-LB photos, actually some I took in college years ago (will not say how long ago!). I am hoping to compile a book one day documenting this way of life. Perhaps I'll try Randy's copybaby trick on some for you when time permits.

You, my friend are an inspiration to me. Thanks!
Pam