Forum: Photography


Subject: US National Arboretum

Quinn opened this issue on Apr 15, 2003 ยท 13 posts


Quinn posted Tue, 15 April 2003 at 5:54 PM

Attached Link: http://www.usna.usda.gov/index.html

Ok got the film back and scanned in. The location is the National Arboretum in Washington DC. I have been wanting to make it out there for several years, and last Saturday I finally made it

The Tools:
Nikon N90s
105mm (prime) manual focus Macro lens
Kodak Supra 100 film


Quinn posted Tue, 15 April 2003 at 5:55 PM

The Capitol Columns: Removed from the East side of the National Capitol around 1958, placed in this 20 acre field during the 1980s.

Quinn posted Tue, 15 April 2003 at 5:56 PM

image 2


Quinn posted Tue, 15 April 2003 at 5:58 PM

uh image 2

Quinn posted Tue, 15 April 2003 at 5:58 PM

Image 3

Quinn posted Tue, 15 April 2003 at 5:59 PM

Image 4, as always comments and welcome

Michelle A. posted Wed, 16 April 2003 at 10:52 AM

These are beautiful....I'm curious about the columns...they've been there for 20 years...? Just sitting there? Do you know what the reasoning was for that?

I am, therefore I create.......
--- michelleamarante.com


funkandjazz posted Wed, 16 April 2003 at 12:16 PM

they're all nice shots. image 4 is my favorite.


starshuffler posted Wed, 16 April 2003 at 3:44 PM

Preeeetteee preeetteee flowers... happy happy happy... ;-D (* (needs a vacation. every one else around here is away on holiday...)


Quinn posted Wed, 16 April 2003 at 5:42 PM

Thanks folks. Michelle, as for the reason for the columns. The short answer is, well.just because. Personally I think the reason is has to do with the fact that around hear if you have a large open grassy area, someone has to put something on it. Such as a shopping mall, town house, or monument.

The truth of the matter goes like this. (Hope I get this right, the web site seems to be down at the moment.) These columns were part of the US Capital Building from around 1826 to 1956. About that time they put a new dome on the Capital, and the design gave the illusion that the dome was to big to be adequately supported. So to fix the illusion, they had to remove these columns, from the east side, to build whatever they built, so the dome wouldnt look as if it were going to fall. So now we jump to the 80s, some big shot landscaper took a trip out to the National Arboretum and seen this 20 acre stretch of grass and thought it needed something on it, and thought that the unused columns would go well at the top of the hill. He died a few months later, and they put the columns up.

So thats the story, as best as I can remember, but this is the URL to the page talking about the Capitol Columns http://www.usna.usda.gov/Gardens/collections/columns.html I suppose they will have it back up eventually.

Quinn


PhrankPower posted Thu, 17 April 2003 at 2:12 PM

Interesting story. I'd like to see more of those columns, perhaps a bit closer look. Also really like #4.


Michelle A. posted Thu, 17 April 2003 at 2:29 PM

Yeah I'd like to get a better view too...maybe once the site is back up... I would think the columns would be put to better use actually supporting some sort of architecture?

I am, therefore I create.......
--- michelleamarante.com


JordyArt posted Thu, 17 April 2003 at 3:21 PM

The columns are way cool - almost surreal.... Great colour in all of these pics. Cheers Quinn! (",)