Sue Henry Photography 2008 All Rights Reserved. Image may not be used without permission.
“Character builds slowly, but it can be torn down with incredible swiftness.” – Faith Baldwin
~
Forgive me if I ramble a bit regarding this image.
~
First of all, this image is another of those Downtown Details; those cool little details that are often overlooked by most of us in our typical daily activities.
~
But, there is more to the story. For as long as I have lived in Paducah (approaching 40 years now), the original building facade of this old historic bank building was covered by a modern, plain (and dare I say ugly) facade. Recently, a surge of interest in historic building preservation and downtown development has encouraged the restoration of these beautiful buildings.
~
My Sunday afternoon stroll in downtown Paducah resulted in several images; this being one of my favorites from yesterday’s shoot.
~
Architectural ornamentation and it’s significance is not an area of expertise for me. I have spent the morning attempting to research the significance of this “lovely lady” gracing the historic building. So far my research has not turned up anything of significance. Sigh.
~
So, that leaves me to my imagination and speculation. I’m assuming this “lovely lady” must represent character, virtue, liberty, etc. because of her placement on a bank building and the characteristics we would hope to find in such an institution.
~
And, using the theme of character I selected the above quote for this image.
~
The “character” of the original building was hidden for years and could certainly have been torn down with incredible swiftness. And, as we all know, one’s own personal character is subject to quick destruction as well.
~
While this image could simply be a “snap shot” of downtown Paducah, I have found the image compelling, thought provoking, and an image to ponder.
~
Please feel free to help me learn more about the historical significance of such architectural details by sharing your information or resources with information.
~
(Texture again provided by Leik)
I wish I could help with the history on her, but I can’t. I will check back to see if anybody else can and I do love your photograph.
Sue, I can’t tell you how wonderful the texture works with this shot! I’m so glad you’ve really taken a liking to texture. Wonderful!
These little details are sometimes overlooked and make great photos!
Jen, I feel like, in this particular instance, adding texture makes the difference between a “nice shot” and an artful image. Like you, I am especially fond of this piece.
I love it!!!!