50 years ago this month.

[Art Meripol]

Working towards a degree in Journalism in the early 70's the J-school at my college only had one photo course. I was one of the few J-students that wanted to be a photographer instead of a working reporter or PR/adverstising maven or whatever. My junior year I discovered a photo course offered in the Art School and signed up. Our semester long project was to document something over the whole semester. The instructor and I did not get along. I was full of gonzo journalism and he was a zen art photographer. I chose to photograph our small town's first year farmers market on the square. The instructor wasn't thrilled with my choice.
It's now 50 years later. The 'instructor' and I ended up becoming friends. He's a tremendous master photographer working in B&W. Look him up. His name is Andrew Kilgore. I ended becoming the newspaper photog I wanted to be before moving on to travel/magazine photography and now freelance.
The Farmers Market only grew over the years and is a beautiful place. When celebrating their 50th year they discovered my photo through a few scans I posted and ended up sponsoring a show of those old photos at a gallery next to the market. People love them and would point out long past relatives or even their selves as children. I'm just amazed at how ancient looking the people are and yet how little had changed. Here's a selection from my long ago class project.

 

[Peter Roberts]

Great shots, Art. Good to hear that your project stood the test of time.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

What a bunch of characters. You really caught them well, Art, so thanks for sharing them. And the cars are equally as characterful. It’s great that you had a plan and realised it. At 65, I’m still trying to figure out what to do with my life ;-)

 

[Gianluca Drago]

Great shots, great document. It is easy to see why people love them: they exude history, stories and humanity.

 

[Art Meripol]

Great shots, great document. It is easy to see why people love them: they exude history, stories and humanity.

Thank you Gianluca. They seem like faces you just don't see any more.

 

[Art Meripol]

What a bunch of characters. You really caught them well, Art, so thanks for sharing them. And the cars are equally as characterful. It’s great that you had a plan and realised it. At 65, I’m still trying to figure out what to do with my life ;-)

I wish I could say I knew exactly what I was doing back then was intentional. Maybe it was but I doubt it. At 20 I did not have any sense of history.

 

[Keith Drysdale]

Well taken photographs of events and characters will never lose their relevence. You spotted some great moments and people.

 

[Bill Brown]

Oh man. Do those ever take me back. I'm glad you and your teacher became friends. Following your heart when you're young isn't always easy cause older folks are supposed to know how it's done. But sometimes what's inside a person goes beyond following the everyday path. You see or feel something that goes to a deeper level. No, these aren't Zen art but I much prefer shots like this to hang on my wall. Images showing people in their everyday walks of life and stores that used to be in every town, Woolworth's for example. It all tells a story.

I remember my mom buying me roasted peanuts at the local Woolworth's as a special treat. I can even see that scene in my minds eye from almost 60 years ago. To me any work that encourages me to place my memories over someone else's work is what art should be. It's that happy thought that allows an individual to fly to another place and time. Nice! Thanks for sharing these.

 

[Art Meripol]

Oh man. Do those ever take me back. I'm glad you and your teacher became friends. Following your heart when you're young isn't always easy cause older folks are supposed to know how it's done. But sometimes what's inside a person goes beyond following the everyday path. You see or feel something that goes to a deeper level. No, these aren't Zen art but I much prefer shots like this to hang on my wall. Images showing people in their everyday walks of life and stores that used to be in every town, Woolworth's for example. It all tells a story.

I remember my mom buying me roasted peanuts at the local Woolworth's as a special treat. I can even see that scene in my minds eye from almost 60 years ago. To me any work that encourages me to place my memories over someone else's work is what art should be. It's that happy thought that allows an individual to fly to another place and time. Nice! Thanks for sharing these.

what a wonderful note! Thank you Bill. Loved your story of your Mom and Woolworths. Thank you for sharing your own story. Great reminder of how one never knows what something might mean to someone else.

 

[Julian Tanase]

I like these a lot. I would choose the last one, the old gentleman with a younger one standing right behind him. Martin Scorsese would not be ashamed of the scene, could be right out of Good Fellas or The Irishman movies. The old man's stance looks like that of an old wise guy, with his tenente's careful eye upon him. The toothpick makes the entire scene leaning to that impression, I believe. Good shots, thank you for sharing !