Extra Blog 1: My Response to the Mayflower

The pictures our teachers showed at the Mayflower this past week were particularly fascinating to me. It was very interesting to see how certain images have defined a generation. All of the residents of the Mayflower seemed to recognize every one of the images displayed, while I, as a younger person not alive at that time, knew fewer of them. However, there were several that seemed to sort of transcend the generation or age gap, in that we all recognized them. What was fascinating about this to me was how certain photographic images resonate so strongly throughout history, to the point that generations later, we still appreciate those particular images.
I have included this World War II image of Omaha Beach because it was the picture that stood out to me the most from the slideshow Dawn provided, not only because of its ability to transcend the generation gap that I just spoke of, but it was also particularly special because one of the members of the Mayflower had himself been at this scene as a Captain during World War II. Much of history is lost on the newer generations that were not there to witness what has occurred, but a photograph's ability to preserve memories forever in time, whether or not it is a true and full representation of the past or just one snapshot of one particular instance, is truly amazing. What affected me was being able to experience not just the photograph that already allows us to see a section of the past but the account of someone who had actually been there. It was very interesting to hear his memories of being in the very situation seen in the photograph above. Sometimes it is hard to gauge what exactly happened from a photograph, but that gentleman's account really brought the picture alive for me. It is instances like this that make me very excited to work with the folks at the Mayflower. Both generations can impart wisdom upon the other, as we help them create their time capsule or photo book and as they share the stories of their wondrous lives upon us younger folks. I am really looking forward to this project and learning new ways to view the world by exploring memory through use of the photograph.