Photographer's Forum Contest, 2009
By Jim Shoemaker
31 Jul 2009
Ghost Towns and historical sites have always been among my most favorite subjects. Since moving to California in the Fall of 2000, I have spent a great deal of time traveling to, exploring and photographing ghost towns, mining towns and other historical monuments.
Earlier this year I submitted four photographs to Serbin Communication's 29th Annual Spring Photography Contest. I was published in last year's contest, so I figured I'd try my luck again. This year two of my photos were accepted into the finalist group. (awards won't be announced until August 17.) I'd like to share them with you along with a bit of background about each subject.
The first photo (and only color one I entered) is of the Ghost Town Rhyolite, which is located in Nevada just outside the western border of Death Valley National Park. It's small compared to many such towns I've visited, but it has a lot of character. This building, the Cook Bank Building, is one of my favorite subjects and I've photographed it a number of times in various conditions. It is said to be the most photographed ruin in Nevada, and I believe it. This is a star trail photo I shot in February of this year.
In it's day, Rhyolite had a population of over 8,000 people, 3 water systems, 3 train lines, telephone and telegraph offices, electricity, over 50 mines, 3 newspapers, an opera house, a symphony, baseball teams, tennis courts, 3 public swimming pools, 2 undertakers, 3 hospitals, 8 doctors, 2 dentists, 19 hotels, 18 grocery stores, 53 saloons, a catholic and presbyterian church and an extensive red light district. It was relatively short-lived though; established around 1904 and essentially deserted by 1910.
The second photo chosen as a finalist is of the Swansea Ghost Town near Lone Pine, California. Founded in 1870, Swansea was on the shore of Owns Lake before the aqueduct was built and the lake dried up. It once had a population of 2,200 and was the site of two smelters which processed ore from Cerro Gordo. By 1874 the town was nearly deserted, and in the summer of that year a thunderstorm created a flash flood that buried most of the town. Another flash flood in the 1990's removed virtually everything else. This crumbling stone building used to be a stagecoach stop, and is about the only structure still standing.
Next is a photo of the cemetery of Manzanar, the Relocation Center at which Japanese American citizens were interned during World War II. It is located just north of Lone Pine in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. Although it wasn't chosen as a finalist for this contest, the National Park Service has used the photo in one of their publications.
The final photo I submitted this year was taken in the town of Jackson, Michigan. I spent the first 30 years of my life in Michigan, but had moved to California before taking an interest in photography. Since then, my return trips have been spent viewing familiar territory with fresh eyes, and this building really captured my imagination. Construction of the brick structure began in 1842 and it was used until 2007. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The railroad tracks just outside the walls of the prison really make it a photogenic location.
Whether either photo "wins" or not is irrelevant. The important thing to me is the opportunity to be published and share these wonderful sites with others who may never have a chance to visit them. In particular the Ghost Towns, which are truly transient and will someday, possibly in my lifetime, cease to exist.
1 response
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Regenia Brabham gave props (1 Aug 2009):
Great images and congratulations! I have one image in the 2006 issue and one in the 2007 issue. I did not enter last year but am hopeful for this year.
