A few days ago I published music stand photographs from an old Charleston home. All children in the wealthy families learned instruments. Click here to see the first music stand.
Visiting a different old house I spotted this in the corner of an entrance way.
Again candles provided light to the sheet music.
Both homes were from the early 1800’s owned by Charleston planters and traders.
On my way to shoot another of the old homes I turned a corner and of course spotted a big beautiful church. Camera up, and shooting.
However then I recognized the church.
Mother Emanuel is the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Founded in 1817, Emanuel AME is the oldest African Methodist Episcopal church in the Southern United States. This, the first independent black denomination in the United States, was founded in 1816.
In June 1822, Denmark Vesey of Charleston, one of the church’s founders, was implicated in an alleged slave revolt plot. Vesey and five other organizers were rapidly convicted in a show trial, and executed on July 2 after a secret trial.
Dr. Martin Luther King spoke here to support black voter registration in 1962. Earlier in 1909 Booker T. Washington spoke here bringing both white and black national politicians together.
Finally, June 17, 2015 historic of another kind came to Mother Emanuel. During an evening bible study a young man, Dylan Roof joined the group. Nine people were shot and killed by Roof after he sat with them. A manifesto of hate and white supremacy was found on his web site later.
Just to add a bit more to this story…
We looked up and found a Red-tailed Hawk looking down over Charleston.
There’s always a critter around when you need one.
For additional information click here… Mother Emanuel
This nest site is always one of the most photographed spots each year.
The Herons (and Egrets) like it, stands alone in the swamp, and very close to the trails.
Of course it gets lots of attention.
Last year this was actually two nests, almost on top of each other.
It may stay two nests. Great Egrets nest closer to each other so these may have been Egrets sites last year.
After the top is complete another Great Blue may take the lower limb.
This was an enthusiastic little guy.
He was pulling the cattails apart in search of seeds.
In a few places near the local rookery the marshes have changed over to thick growth, and thousands of cattails. While it’s the end of a marsh it does offer different wildlife food and shelter.
Lately the Chickadee and other small birds have taken over.
In the past I walked by here without really looking very hard. We go a lot slower now.
Cold here is up for debate most times. But if you are just sitting on top of a tree, it’s cold.
Great Blue Herons.
Just as shy as usual, Wood Ducks.
They are always around somewhere, just getting a shot is the problem. Now they have taken up in a little used swamp off the main rookery.
This is all reeds, grass, and plenty of hanging Spanish Moss. In another month this swamp will be invisible.
A small, but important detail.
When shooting in the old manor houses my first thought is to go wide. Get as much in a frame as possible. While it makes for interesting historical images, things can be easily missed.
Like this.
A music stand was next to the old harp. I spotted the iron candle holder. It makes perfect sense, there was no other light to read music by.
It’s so easy not to see the small details.
Charleston, South Carolina.
