Willard Suitcase #14
This case was very interesting to me on a lot of levels. It belonged to Peter L.
It was almost completely flattened and I decided to shoot it from above until Peg figured out how to have it stand up on its own.
This type of bag has always been one of my favorites. I have one very similar to it that was given to me a long time ago by a friend.
It looks like there is a burn from a cigarette on the wooden shaving soap box.
You see this color green often in the UK.
I found my self hoping that Peterson’s Ointment was indeed soothing to Peter L.
The small labels that the Willard staff affixed to the cases tells quite a bit about the patients.
I have again obscured the last part of Peter’s name here. What is interesting about this tag is the date of his admission.
You can see by the date on this Syracuse Herald-Journal that he bought the paper just days before he arrived at Willard.
My mom’s name was Vera and my son’s name is Peter and when I see connections in these items I can’t help but to personalize this whole process. It is one of the reasons that I feel able to convey some sense of intimacy through the photographs.
It also helps to remember that while the individuals who owned the cases were experiencing monumental changes in their lives, the larger world around them was also in turmoil.
I will be in Albany Monday, Tuesday, and probably Friday. Early in the week I’ll be meeting with Dr. Karen Miller and a wonderful person from the West Coast museum that (fingers crossed) will be using some of this work in a major exhibit a year from now. As soon as details are finalized, I let everyone know what’s going on. And on Friday I’ll hope to shoot a bunch more cases.
Home
Peter and I flew home yesterday. It was an amazing trip and has solidified his wish to live in London, which I really hope he can do someday. Saturday was a big day for us with lots of travel on the tube and walking. As we were heading into central London from Heathrow we had a lovely exchange with a very nice woman who seemed to be about my age. P and I were talking about where to stop off to wander around and get a bite to eat, and she was apparently over-hearing our discussion. As she was leaving the train at her stop she said, “English people aren’t meant to speak to people on trains, but Gloucester Road is a bit dire. You might want to go on to South Kensington”. England has changed a ton since I started going there, but I am occasionally reminded of why I love it so much.
Fish and chips
I usually don’t post pictures of food but due to popular demand, here it is. It was haddock which to me is just a bit better than cod. Sublime.
Jonny Donuts
We were so tempted to get donuts here. But we had just eaten the best fish and chips EVER at Steeles Corner House in Cleethorpes. So we just had an ice cream (with Flake). This is a beautiful little seaside town on the North Sea. Well worth the visit. I just love the deco design of this building.
Burton to Scunthorpe
I took this shot of the road atlas yesterday while Peter was speaking to the Safety Officer of the Burton Albion Football Club. I was looking at the map to see how to get up to Scunthorpe. It turned out to be pretty easy and only took about an hour and a half. Burton was nice and it was the first place in the UK where I heard someone use the word “nowt” (meaning “nothing”). I asked a woman in a teashop in Burton about Scunthorpe and she said Northerners weren’t as friendly. The difference between north and south here is much different that in the States. It is only a matter of about 65 miles. In my years of travel I have found that everyone who comes from somewhere other than the locals couldn’t possibly be as pleasant. For me, though they all seem pretty nice.
John Wilson
Peter and I drove from Stratford upon Avon down to High Wycombe today for another of his interviews with football clubs (Wycombe Wanderers). John had a free day so he rode along with us and helped a ton with directions. The weather has cleared out and the rest of the week looks to be lovely. / I took this shot at the far end of the car park at the Oxford Services on the M40, which is a regular stop anytime we head in this direction. It reminds me of a shot I took of John on the Isle of Sheppey some 20 years ago. We’ve both aged since then, although to look at us you would hardly notice.
Spring in Bishop’s Park London
Peter and I are off to the Cottage for the match between Fulham and Swansea. He’ll be talking to supporters about his project and we’ll see the game. We will walk through Bishop’s park again to get to the ground. It is a bit rainy this morning and not quite as nice as on Thursday when I took this shot. Spring has come a bit early here this year and the trees are really coming out. Can anyone tell me to what tree these buds belong?
Bishop’s Park Gents
Only some of you might be interested in this, but I have always enjoyed older public restrooms, especially here in Britain. This is the gents in the middle of Bishop’s Park. Beautiful tile, the urinals are all porcelain, no graffiti and clean. I am always a bit nervous about taking pictures in public facilities, but fortunately no one walked in on me. It would be a bit difficult to explain what I was doing.
Basset Hound
Peter and I flew to London last night. He is here working on his Union College senior thesis. It has to do with how terraces disappeared from Premier League football grounds and the effect that change has had on supporters and organizations. So we are here for a few days and then off around the midlands and Lincolnshire to go to some clubs and interview as many people as we can. / We were eating lunch in a pub near Putney Bridge when we heard what I thought was someone imitating a basset hound. I looked over and saw this guy. Amazing; just sitting there with his mistress.
I just love it how dogs hang out in pubs. He was sweet.
Staff Boat
This is a silly photograph, but I like it because it is the only time I have ever taken a shot of the sky where a seagull and an airplane appear to be the same size. (Lower right corner, but maybe it’s too hard to see on a computer monitor. Oh well.)
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