Historical Scenery

One of the great joys of travel across the U.S. is observing the changing landscape as you go. Few countries have the range of contrasting climates that we have within our 50 states.

In fact, it was our search for scenes such as these that led us to an interest in history. Even though most of my photos attempt to deny human impact, to show nature in its “natural state,” evidence of man’s existance is everywhere - a post in the ground, a picture scratched on a wall, a trail cut through the forest, the discarded artifacts of daily life.

The environment has a direct influence on human existance by providing the raw materials from which we fashion our lives. Imagine coming here in past times. If you landed on a shoreline, you could catch fish, and there was a good chance you had trees for constructing a shelter. If you settled in a place that had no trees, you could build your home with rocks and soil, or you could occupy the natural caves. If you had arable land, you could raise crops. You could also domesticate and herd animals for food or follow those you couldn’t. If you found yourself in a place where all the necessities were at hand, and you had a mild climate, you were fortunate indeed.

Our search for pristine landscapes to photograph led us to realize how human existance is just another part of nature. We came to accept the human impact and wanted to learn more about the stories behind life here in America.

I hope you enjoy the images here and throughout our website. But also think of how your life and your family history would be different if you had lived in another place and in another time, without our modern conveniences.

Escalante National Park, like many areas of southern Utah, is full of harsh environments where few but the rugged survived. Yet, there was beauty everywhere in the color of the rocks and soil, the shapes of the trees and the delicacy of the flowers on plants and cacti. Eaking out a living was very difficult - you had to know where to look.

While no one actually lived in Alaska’s mountains, the climate at those latitudes was almost as harsh as the desert Southwest during much of the year. Lakes turned to ice, and the ground, too, was frozen (except when it was soggy during the few months of summer). Consequently, farming was not viable. But fishing, hunting and collecting the fruit of the land were possible, if only seasonally.

Those who settled near the oceans, such as here in the Pacific Northwest, lived in relative luxury. They had all the resources they could use. The sea coasts, river valleys and dense forests provided an amazing array of foods as well as the raw materials needed to fashion a comfortable life, as long as they kept out the rain.

Historical Video

The only thing wrong with a still photo is that you can’t easily capture what happened next. With the newer digital cameras you can record video. You may already be using this capability, but I’m just beginning to explore the possibilities.

So, since I couldn’t put movies in the book, here are two Quicktime™ videos of the French and Indian War re-enactment we attended at Fort Ticonderoga, NY. Even though we were observing the action with several hundred other audience members, the reality of the portrayal was striking. The sounds and the smells and the tension in the air were all real enough. Enjoy!

All photos and videos
Copyright © 2007 Suzanne and Craig Sheumaker, and Red Corral Publishing. All rights reserved.

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