In the past two years I have asked you to show me your hometown. This year I waited until May in hopes of warmer weather. As I walked through the history of Seneca Falls and then photographed a monument to Christopher Columbus in the City of Syracuse a couple of days later, I thought everywhere there is history to be discovered.
This got me to thinking of changing the hometown assignment up this time. So, this month’s assignment will be about Hometown History. Specifically, Your Hometown as in year’s past. Whether your hometown has centuries of history or less than a hundred years, you can find places, people, things and stories about its past.
Columbus Monument statue in front of the Onondaga County Court House at Columbus Circle in Syracuse, New York. Nikon D700/28-300VR, 10s, f/16, ISO 200, EV 0, 92mm focal length, tripod.
As in the other assignments, do not send me your photos. What I would like you to do is post them on your blog, flickr or other photo sharing site, personal website or any other place on the Internet where you can place a link to it here by making a comment to this blog entry. Then we can visit those sites and enjoy everyone’s Hometown History.
Please, have your photos posted on or before Midnight (your time), Wednesday, May 25, 2011. Don’t have a place to post? Might be a good time to start up a blog or join a photo community like flickr. As I have done for all the Assignments, I’ll put together a recap with my comments.
If you have any questions, leave me a comment and I will be happy to answer them. By the way, I would really appreciate it if you would help spread the word about this assignment so we can get lots of people to participate. Blog it, tweet it, email it and talk about it to your fellow photographers, bloggers, friends, family and pets. Thank you
Views Infinitum 
Another assignment I’ll have to skip… going to be impossible to take pictures of my hometown.
LikeLike
Why not? They got an ordinance against photography in your town? 🙂
LikeLike
My hometown is in Germany 😉
Even if it wasn’t, I wouldn’t want to post pictures (or the name) of the town where I live now. Dallas/Dallas area is as close as it’s going to get.
LikeLike
By all means, take a field trip to Dallas and show us some Big Texas history. I hear everything is bigger in Texas. 😉
LikeLike
Sorry, Scott, Dallas is boring, and I have no desire to learn about its history.
LikeLike
Hmm. the auld hometown is a few thousand kilometres away, so I’ll have to skip! Unless I can use old shots? But that would defeat the purpose, wouldn’t it. Oh well 🙂
LikeLike
What about your current hometown? You must live somewhere. 🙂 Ireland is full of history, isn’t it?
LikeLike
Very true, didn’t think about that one! Too late now though, right? 😦 (sorry, just back from my trip to DC!)
LikeLike
Afraid so. How was your time in our nation’s capitol?
LikeLike
Thank you Scott for not giving this assignment in March like last year!
LikeLike
You’re welcome, Jennifer! Looking forward to what you show us.
LikeLike
Hmmm… the town I live in isn’t exactly a town (more like a crossroads), but I might be able to do something interesting. And if not, I’ll head over to Akron or Cleveland and see what I can do there.
It’s a good challenge, Scott. 🙂
LikeLike
That’s the spirit but you might find the crossroads has a secret to tell. I know of some near me which have interesting stories of their past.
LikeLike
Holy Wah! OK, I will accept two challenges. As requested, I will show you something about northern Michigan’s past, although I will warn you that here, as in Faulkner’s Mississippi, the past is never dead. It isn’t even past.
Per my self-imposed challenge, I will sneak up on you with a story that even the most history-averse among your readers will be unable to resist. Stealth history.
LikeLike
That’a girl! Hmmm…stealth history. Something I wish a few history teachers I had knew something about! LOL!
LikeLike
This sounds interesting, I might have to do a little research.
LikeLike
I hope it is interesting, Nye. Always good to know a little about where you live that you didn’t know before.
LikeLike
I´ll go and find some interesting spots in Copenhagen, that´ll be fun, – and surely interesting to see the photos connected to this assignment, not to talk about Gerry´s stealth history! Can´t wait to read it!
LikeLike
An old European city like Copenhagen is rich in history. I bet it will be hard for you to figure out what to share. 🙂
LikeLike
Hi, stumbled across this from another photo blog that I follow, I think I might give it a try. I live in Ireland, but moved to a tiny town last year so it’ll be interesting to learn about my new town!
🙂
LikeLike
Welcome, Denise! Hit the local pub and ask what the people there have to say about the history of your new town.
LikeLike
I will do my best to find some shots that I didn’t use last year in the March assignment!
LikeLike
Think of your town’s history, I am sure you’ll come up with something new and different. Or a new way of something you’ve done before.
LikeLike
I have already posted quite a few pictures of my present hometown, so I may drive to my “real” home town, much smaller, but quite interesting too. That’s a good challenge, thank you, Scott.
LikeLike
That would be marvelous, Isa. Looking forward to it.
LikeLike
Pingback: Hometown photography challenge « Isathreadsoflife’s Blog
OK, since I was just in my hometown–my “real” hometown in downstate Michigan, there just might be something usable in the current batch of photos. Will go a lookin’. Thank you kindly!
LikeLike
Everyone seems determined to want to use the hometown they grew up in. What I meant was the town you CURRENTLY are living in or nearby city/town/village of interest. However, I am not against traveling to your original place of origin if you can. 🙂
LikeLike
Pingback: Finding History | Views Infinitum
Scott, I just completed my assignment–wanted to get it in before the Rapture. http://upwoods.wordpress.com/2011/05/18/get-your-hometown-history-assignment-in-before-the-rapture-please/
Thanks again for the fun!
LikeLike
LOL Okay…heading over now so I don’t miss reading it before…well, you will all have to click over to see what Kathy is talking about. Oh, Kathy, thank you. 🙂
LikeLike
I came across your blog via Kathy who shared it on FB. I thought I would jump in and share some photos I took last Saturday in the old part of my hometown: http://leifraser.com/2011/05/18/a-little-hometown-history/
thanks for the challenge! I enjoyed taking these photos, and enjoyed sharing them too! Look forward to seeing the links to other hometowns!
Leigh-Anne
LikeLike
Short time left for this assignment…that’s what I get for not keeping up! 🙂 But I live in a tiny little place…post office, party store, fire department. That’s about it. I know it has history though…so will find some..if it stops raining long enough for me to get out and get the shot!
LikeLike
Pingback: Canada Geese and Goslings « Nye Noona
Hi Scott,
I found your challange via Kathy’s blog. I’m not much of a photographer. Just a point and click. But I thought this would be fun! Thanks for the “homework assignment”! I enjoyed it!!
Tracy
http://musingsfromthecampfire.blogspot.com/2011/05/hometown-history.html
LikeLike
Here’s my home town history assignment results. http://dawnking.interspike.com/?p=10551
This was fun and got me out to visit a place I hadn’t been to before, and to meet the owner! Thanks for pushing me beyond my normal routine!
LikeLike
Hi Scott! I was busy thinking and posting a comment on Kathy’s blog and ended up doing the assignment and posting my own blog about it. Anyone may view it here: Hometown History Photography Assignment
LikeLike
I consider Ann Arbor, Michigan to be my hometown. I have lived in Ann Arbor for the past 52 years. The assignment brought to mind a bit of history I witnessed when I was a sophomore at the University of Michigan. I gathered with thousands of others to see the handsome young presidential candidate who was to appear on the Michigan Union steps at 11:00 at night. When JFK came out the front door at 2 in the morning. The crowd surged forward and I don’t know if I heard his plans for the Peace Corps. My main concern was breathing. I had been pushed against a pole and the air was squeezed out of my lungs.
http://brucelaidlaw.com/door/
LikeLike
I found you through Kathy at Upwoods. Here is my assignment.
http://solitaryspinster.wordpress.com/2011/05/22/my-hometown/
LikeLike
Hello Scott ! Here is my contribution to your present assignment.
http://isathreadsoflife.wordpress.com/2011/05/24/my-hometown-history/
Thanks for another interesting theme.
LikeLike
You can find my assignment here: http://www.deniseheffernan.com
LikeLike
Hi Scott-
Here’s my rendition of the history of Ithaca, NY. http://mylifeincny.wordpress.com/2011/05/24/history-of-ithaca-ny/
Debbie
LikeLike
Scott, this is my contribution.
http://nyenoona.wordpress.com/2011/05/25/my-hometown-history/
LikeLike
You are all doing wonderful posts!
Here is mine about the The Syracuse and Baldwinsville Railroad which operated in my hometown in the late 1880’s.
LikeLike
Hi Scott.
My contribution: http://my2008blog.wordpress.com/2011/05/25/my-rainy-hometown/
LikeLike
Hello Scott! Thanks for this challenge, I have not been photographing around my home and hometown for a long time – before now! Here is my contribution:
http://truels.wordpress.com/2011/05/25/hometown-history-marslet-denmark/
LikeLike
http://torchlakeviews.wordpress.com/2011/05/25/island-house/
LikeLike
Curses! A minute late! It’s the Cowboy’s fault–but you knew that, didn’t you.
LikeLike
Oh, sure, blame the dog. At least he didn’t eat your assignment. 😉 I’ll let it go this time.
LikeLike
Pingback: 249: Memorial Day « Life in the Bogs
Pingback: Assignment 13 Recap | Views Infinitum
Pingback: a little hometown history « lei fraser photography