Historic Site Restoration - Part 2

This is part 2 of a series of articles on perserving historic landmarks through the use of digital photography.

Preservation of Historic Sites through Artwork

The purpose of our work is to present a vision of the past through photography and artwork. This combination merges historical fact with mood and presence. This is a powerful combination that invokes the emotions as well as records the place.

This wonderful early 1900's building has seen better days. It was modernized, but in selected areas, we could find the original character of the building.

In the original image, I choose to crop the doorway and window in a way that brings out the relationship between the window and stairs. This created a "comfortable" place for the viewer to stand, perhaps looking out the window in contemplation. To hold the viewer, I cropped to the angled top left column and created a standing space with the triangular floor section. The idea was to cradle the viewer in a place long forgotten.

Unfortunately there was a modern florescent fixture complete with electrical cable that disrupted the mood of the image I was trying to present. With some digital rework, I was able to remove and hide fixture.

Below is my final impression of this wonderful early 1900's style indoor architecture complete with an old exit sign.