From the Archives: Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 1990 with 4×5" Film

Vicksburg in the 1990s offered so many interesting photographic topics. It still looked like an "old" town, with small shops, hand-lettered signs, and buildings that stepped out of the early 20th century. It changed and slightly modernized in the decades that followed, so I am eternally grateful that I made the effort to get out and about with my camera way back when. 

Here are some 1990 examples made on 4×5" film, some from my wood Japanese Tachihara camera and others from a Burke & James (an old-time camera manufacturer from Chicago). 

Reverend Dennis with a visitor, 1990 (90mm ƒ/6.8 Wollensak Raptar lens)

Margaret's Gro on North Washington Street was a folk art cultural icon for over 35 years. Reverend Herman D. Dennis married Margaret in 1979 and slowly transformed her store on North Washington Street into his Temple to the Lord. He told me he learned his brick skills from German prisoners of war who he guarded in World War II. Many of his foreign visitors were German tourists. After Margaret and Dennis passed away, the art work deteriorated and vandals stole pieces. The Mississippi Folk Art  Foundation has preserved some of the materials in a warehouse.

Loading dock for logs, Yazoo Canal (Kodak Tri-X film, 75mm ƒ/8 Super-Angulon lens, yellow filter)

Alley behind Washington Street buildings (Turner-Reich Triple Convertible lens at 8½ inch) 

North Washington Street view south (Turner-Reich Triple Convertible lens at 20 inch)

The grassy field in the foreground had railroad tracks under the debris. At one time, passenger trains came to these platforms.

Openwood Street garage (Tri-X film, 75mm ƒ/8 Super Angulon lens) 

Kansas City Southern rail yard and Levee Street, view south to the Fairground Street Bridge (Turner-Reich Triple Convertible lens at 20 inch)

The Kansas City Southern rail yard occupied a flat zone below the Vicksburg bluffs and just east of the Yazoo Canal. A rail yard had been in this area since before the Civil War. Unlike rail yards in big cities, this one had no fences, so one could take interesting pictures. The Fairground Street Bridge in the distance in the photograph above was open when I took the pictures in 1990, but it has been condemned and closed for over two decades. As usual: fate unknown despite its historic status.

Tank farm, Fairground Street (75mm ƒ/8 Super-Angulon lens)

This tank farm was located at the western end of Fairground Street. It was unused for decades. I remember climbing one of the stairs to the top of a tank, and strong petroleum fumes swirled about. I am amazed that there was never a fire. 

Hangar 3 (demolished in 2012) at the Waterways Experiment Station 

The Waterways Experiment Station acquired surplus steel hangars in the late 1940s. Some sheltered  hydraulic physical models of waterways and harbors. Hangar 3 in the photo above came down in 2012. Hangar 4 was demolished to make space for the new headquarters building.  

Steam Laundry (90mm ƒ/6.8 Wollensak Raptar lens)

Waiting for a load (Kodak Tri-X Prof 320, Caltar IIN 180mm ƒ/5.6 lens, 1 sec ƒ/16)

The Vicksburg steam laundry on Grove Street was a fixture of the city in the early 20th century. Some old-timers told me that mid-century, many Vicksburg families never laundered any clothing at home - it all went out commercially. This laundry closed before I moved to town in 1985. 

Before this building was converted into a laundry, it was housed the first industrial-scale Coca Cola Bottling plant. This was not the Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum on Washington Street. The Vicksburg Foundation for Historic Preservation owns that building and runs the very interesting museum. 

In the 1940s or 1950s, Coca Cola Corporation built a new bottling plant on south Washington Street. An antique store now occupies part of this newer facility. 

In 1992, the Grove Street laundry/bottling plant suffered a catastrophic fire. The rumor at the time is that a developer found asbestos and torched the building rather than renovate it. That is not an unfamiliar story in Vicksburg. I have negatives from immediately after the fire (to scan some day....).

This ends our short 1990 tour of Vicksburg, Mississippi. Thanks for riding along.

1700s Cavanserai or Han, Eminönü District, Istanbul (Nov. 2024)

The Ottomans conquered Constantinople on May 29, 1453, after a 55-day siege. Unlike the exhausted, bankrupt (financially and politically), and demoralized Byzantine Empire, the Ottomans were energetic and militarily more sophisticated. The Ottomans already controlled the vast hinterland of Anatolia and swaths of the Middle East. To encourage trade, they built caravanserai, protected and safe trading posts, where merchants could shelter over the night or during bad weather and exchange goods. They were safe from bandits. Many semi-ruined caravanserai are still found in remote areas, attesting to trade routes. (As an aside, my dad, a hydraulic engineer, often asked where these remote outposts got drinking water. Were areas of Anatolia wetter in the Medieval period?)

Some of these caravanserai, also known as han, are in the Eminönü district of Istanbul. They were originally intended to serve as inns and trading centers, where merchants operated shops and warehoused goods. Hundreds of years later, these hans are still in use.  

Büyük Yeni Han, completed in 1764 (Leica M2, 21mm ƒ/4.5 Zeiss Biogon lens)

Büyük Yeni Han (note the air conditioners)

From Wikipedia:

The han' is located in the central historic market district that extends from the Grand Bazaar to the Eminönü neighbourhood on the shore of the Golden Horn. Since the founding of the first bedesten by Mehmet II in the mid-15th century, the Grand Bazaar developed into the city's main hub of international trade, spawning entire districts of shops, warehouses, and merchant lodgings. A han, a type of urban caravanserai, was a common type of commercial structure in Ottoman architecture (and more broadly in Islamic-world architecture) which served a number of functions including lodging for foreign merchants, storage for goods or merchandise, housing for artisan workshops, and offices from which to conduct dealings. A number of hans were built over the centuries in and around the Grand Bazaar district. The Büyük Yeni Han was completed in 1763 or 1764 CE (1177 AH) on the orders of Sultan Mustafa III.

A structure from the 19th century bridges across the courtyard, unfortunately blocking the grand expanse of the original rectangle han.

Entrance archway to Büyük Yeni Han (35mm ƒ/2 Summicron lens)

I stumbled into the Büyük Yeni Han somewhat by accident. I was looking for a balcony or platform to take some pictures of the rooftops. I walked into the arch and saw some steep dark steps leading upwards. That seemed promising. Soon I was on the third level. There was even a rough but usable lavatory up there.

I love complicated rooftops like this. It is a pity that most of the modern buildings are rectangle concrete boxes.

Houses built into the side of Büyük Yeni Han

Grand Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar is the ultimate arcade of them all. But it is so clean! The ceiling is decorated, the floors are polished, and it is well lit. And there is WiFi, and no one smokes inside. And people pay with plastic. Where is the earthy bazaar I recall from 1965?

Modern arcade in the Sultanahmet area

Well, Istanbul never ceases to provide interesting subject material. It is on my must-return list. If you have not been there, GO VISIT.

I took these photographs with Kodak Tri-X film using my Leica M2 and various lenses. Northeast Photographic in Bath, Maine developed the film in Xtol. I scanned it on a Nikon Coolscan 5000 scanner.

Eminönü in the Rain, Istanbul, Turkey (Nov. 2024)

The Eminönü neighborhood of Istanbul includes the bustling docks facing the Golden Horn, Eminönü Square, and the steep twisty streets reaching up into the heart of the Fatih District. This is historic Istanbul, occupied for 2000+ years. It is a warren of twisting steep roads dating back to who knows when, possibly the Roman era? It is so much fun to be in a place that has been occupied for centuries. 

The Golden Horn from the Eminönü district

After a week of wonderful sun, the winter rain finally came. Wet streets and drizzle, perfect for some Tri-X. We will start at the waterfront near the Egyptian (Spice) Market and work our way up the hill towards Sultanahmet. Street life is a visual delight in Istanbul. Please click any picture to enlarge it.

Hanging around near the Egyptian Market (21mm Zeiss Biogon lens)

Near the Egyptian Market (35mm ƒ/2 Summicron lens)

Checking the shops near the Egyptian Market, Yeni Cami Cd

Fincancilar Sk, Fatih area

On the hill, Cakmakcilar Yks, Fatih

At the Grand Bazaar (at the end of the street)

Afternoon tea (or a cola??)

Chestnut vendor, Sultanahmet

Portrait at the Blue Mosque

Cemetery near Istanbul University

This ends our rewarding day in the rain and drizzle. The light is softer and the glistening alleys and streets add some interest. 

I took these photographs on Kodak Tri-X 400 film with a Leica M2 camera and 21, 35, and 50mm lenses.

In the Footsteps of Ara Güler in Istanbul (Nov. 2024)

Ara Güler was a famous mid-century Turkish photographer (1928-2018). He recorded the lives of dock workers, merchants, sailors, stevedores, and citizens going about their daily lives. Ara was a member of the Magnum photography cooperative. 

"I'm looking for the reality that passes in front of me."

The Ara Güler Müzesi is located in a residential neighborhood in northwest Istanbul. The museum is in a converted beer brewery, a bit of a metro ride and walk from the normal tourist areas. It displays some of his original silver gelatin prints (meaning real photographic paper) plus artifacts from his working years. The number of prints on display is limited but well worth the visit if you like to view the work of photography masters.

Gular's well-used Leica IIIC camera with a later vintage 50mm ƒ/3.5 Elmar lens

Example of reviewing proof sheets and choosing the most interesting frame

Selection of frames from a film strip

Well, needless to say, I will never be an Ara Güler, but I tried to take similar pictures around the waterfront that show the bustle and activity of Istanbul. Güler was well known for his waterfront pictures, so let's walk in his footsteps.

On the Bosphorus

The Golden Horn view west with the Suleymaniye Mosque in the distance

The Golden Horn and the Galata Tower

Karaköy waterfront from the Galata Bridge

Fish market, Karaköy

Waiting for a fish, Galata Bridge

On the Galata Bridge

On the Galata Bridge

I took these photographs with my Leica M2 camera on Kodak Tri-X film, exposed at EI=250. Güler used Tri-X as well as other films from the period. He also did some color work, but I think he is mostly remembered for his B&W photographs.

On the Waterfront - Seattle, Washington (Summer 2024) (Sea 05)

The Seattle waterfront has changed drastically since I lived in Seattle in the mid-1970s. At that time, the ugly 2-level concrete Alaskan Viaduct snaked along the waterfront. Underneath was a sort of nether-land, similar to the underside of the Southeast Expressway in Boston. But at least there was parking under the concrete. Back then, waterfront Seattle was a working district, with warehouses, small factories, and industrial activities. 

Today, the viaduct is gone! Alaskan Way is sunny. Now there are bike lanes, gardens, and a clean new surface street, Elliott Way. Warehouses have been rebuilt into condominiums, and totally new buildings have been erected. And the traffic flows underneath through the SR99 tunnel. 

Alaskan Way

Pier 50 view north along Alaskan Way (Kodak Tri-X film, Rolleiflex 3.5E camera)

The grotesque viaduct once marred this view. Now this is a cheerful and popular bund or esplanade.

This monstrous cruise ship loomed over the waterfront. I have never been close to a vessel this large. It was like a floating office building. I can understand why more and more popular destinations in the Mediterranean, like Venice, Santorini, and Barcelona, object to these ships disgorging thousands of tourists in a short period. They overwhelm the local infrastructure, water supply, and plumbing. But the merchants like the shoppers.

Pier 70 view south along Alaskan Way from the Olympia Sculpture Park

Sounder commuter train

BNSF tracks near Pier 66

In the past, I wondered where the trains came from that ran on the tracks parallel Alaskan Way. I only recently learned that the Great Northern Tunnel extends for about a mile under the business district. This was a major engineering accomplishment in 1904. The southern entrance is just north of the King Street station. The northern entrance emerges from the mountain almost under the Pike Place Market. The opening is obscured by fencing along Elliott Way.  This is another example of the great engineering that made a nation. 

Great Northern Tunnel north entrance (Samsung phone digital file)

BNSF freight train near Pier 70

It feels like a train comes along about every 15 minutes. The amount of commerce is amazing.

Pike Place Market

Everyone takes pictures and selfies at the famous Pike Place Market. My Olympia photography friend comes here often and does excellent work. I took pictures in the Market in 1973 when I lived in Seattle. 

The famous Pioneer Building is a Richardsonian Romanesque edifice of stone, red brick, terra cotta, and cast iron. It faces Pioneer Square, now rather grungy because of the homeless and filth. 

I remember entering the Pioneer Building when it was being renovated in the early 1970s. There was an inner atrium with iron railings. Somewhere in the basement was the well-known French restaurant, the Brasserie Pittsbourg. I remember eating here with friends and, possibly, my dad. Do I have any photographs from those happy and innocent 1970s?

Entrance to the Brasserie Pittsbourg, March 3, 1970 (courtesy of the Seattle Public Library, photograph by Werner W. Lenggenhager, 1899-1988)

This ends our short walk in downtown Seattle and along the waterfront. I took these photographs on Kodak Tri-X 400 film with a Rolleiflex 3.5E camera with 75mm ƒ/3.5 Xenotar lens. This is a 1959 model still going strong. Most Rolleiflex twin lens cameras are superb picture machines. Praus Productions in Rochester, NY, developed the film.

This was article Sea 05