Unknown location, taken from Carson's page, "Speaking of Restored Scenes"
Venturing into the unknown, always leads to worthy adventures. I've yet to meet a gross encounter.
Alan's theme photo this week involves, "Three men hiking up a mountain with a big telescope, one of them being a famous composer. "
With that focus, there are a number of ways one could begin. I will flip through Carson's journal and see if any detours get in the way.
From Carson's Journal.
A brief glimpse into Carson's journal suggests that he's a journalist and I naturally assumed he was of the male gender. However, after various leads I'm questioning that notion. What if, he wasn't?
Was Carson a known American writer of novels, short stories, plays, essays or even poetry? Such a writer would be capable of exploring the spiritual process and possible isolation of misfits or outcasts from small towns located deep in the United States South, and sounds perfectly fitting.
The cover to Carson's Album.
Let the theme unravel.
Going back to Natchez seems like a good place to begin. It appears Carson spent a great deal of time in Mississippi and Georgia, besides going abroad.
An interesting scribbled note mentions Longwood, Nutt's Folly and Windy Hill Manor, with Natchez circled in red.
Will any of it, lead to any famous composer as our theme photo offers this week?
While composers and their magical tunes are stimulating, I found the reference to Nutt's Folly, along with any encounter of an old manor, very intriguing.
Researching Longwood, alternate title, Nutt's Folly, it was built by Dr. Haller Nutt and is described as being a moorish castle of 32 rooms, although unfinished in areas.
As well as this photo below.
Longwood, Adams County, Mississippi sometime in 1938. Apparently, the construction of this 32 room castle ended when workmen left for war, leaving their tools and paint buckets behind, never to be touched again. They still remain there today. The unfinished state illustrates the impact of the Civil War. The building structure dates back to 1860.
The Library of Congress in Washington describes this photo as
"Quiet scene at Longwood, called the "Unfinished Symphony" of American restoration, Natchez, Mississippi.
Photo taken sometime after 1980.
Carson's album shows his strong liking to cities, and especially their streets.
From the streets of Natchez, Mississippi
Alan mentioned hiking up a mountain, so how about the Natchez Bluffs for hiking?
Silver Street, Natchez Bluffs and Under-the-Hill Historic District
sometime in 1972.
This photo was taken in August of 1940.
Surprisingly enough, you can't trust the modes of transportation to date a photo.
Apparently, Natchez, as well as other areas in Mississippi one can travel in various styles.
Lastly, Alan mentioned big telescopes. Carson's closest connections to "big telescope" that I see, would be Carson's scope into people, and the places and situations that surrounded them. A wide scope into the lives of unknown people actually.
A bit of a stretch? Not so much. Oddly enough, on the top of one of the pages reads, the name Nancy. Perhaps a lost lover, or dear friend?
And this photo of Pithiviers (Loiret) - Hopital (Hospital)
Photo listed as Pithiviers (Loiret) La Place du Martroi
Pithiviers, more recently.
Carson had to have been an interesting character. The following is posted at the beginning of his journal.
"Alle Rechte vom Verleger vorbehalten."
Translates to "All rights reserved by the publisher."
Just another little quirky trait.
Special Note-
For those folks curious about references for Carson, I only have an album with brief messages jotted across the pages and a few postcards and other miscellaneous notes stuffed inside as well. I purchased it a few years ago, and I've used a few photos in my first year posting with Sepia Saturday.
