I was reading a book recently about two photographers who funded by grants traveled across the United States in 1955-56 documenting post war America. The authors had done extensive research, the photographers are long dead. The researchers looked at everything they could find, talked with others who knew the photographers, looked at the images, over 40,000 between the two photographers (30,000 from one, 10,000 from the other.)
One of them had carefully documented his travels, where he went, how he got there, where he stayed, who he met and talked with, in addition to technical notes on the photos he took. The other one recorded technical data and location, but little else in a formal effort to document his trip. But he did keep a personal journal with near daily entries of what he was feeling and thinking. The journal was not a deliberate effort to document his travels, but proved invaluable in reconstructing his history.
I have not kept a daily journal or diary in decades. But I do have a daily blog. A gathering of images and words that probably track my adventure. Looking back at past postings, I can tell when I was happy, when I was stressed, when I was grieving. It shows in the words and the selection of images. The blog is documenting my history. Not that anyone will ever want to reconstruct it. But my history for the past almost 19 years is here for all to see.
So my mood this Monday? I am taking no shit from anyone.
Their photos don't appear on Shorpy? My blog was an excellent diary, especially as a travel diary, until it was killed.
ReplyDeleteThat's not a bad mood to have at times, but not too often.
I have been fighting a nasty head cold, put me in an intolerant mood.
DeleteMy blog has served us well for knowing when we did things over the years. I didn’t appreciate how much of a diary it would be. NO DOG RELIEF ZONE reminds me of the children’s show Electric Company and how punctuation changes things.
ReplyDeleteIf only the dogs could read the sign.
DeleteBut creatures other than dogs can poop or pee there?
ReplyDeleteMeeooww! Maybe they keep the dogs out to allow the cats some privacy.
DeleteI have a Daily Planner, one page for each day, to keep track of appointments, upcoming travels, other events, etc. I jot down daily things that I've done, quotes that I've found, meals that I want to remember, travel experiences, and whatever else strikes my fancy, to keep a very minimal diary. Plus my gazillion photos tell stories, too. I did keep a journal during the COVID craziness.
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother kept daily books for decades, I would love to have them. And I know where they are.
DeleteI think my blog serves as a journal of sorts, of both my life and the life of the world, political and pop culture speaking, as well as cats and that one small dog we had.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good mood for a Monday, I think; sets the tone for the days ahead.
I went back to bed and slept until after 9:00, the day is off to a good start.
DeleteMy blog is nineteen years old and it tracks a big chunk of my adult life. I can look back and jog my memory about what happened when. However, all of our blogspot blogs are under the control of Blogger from Google. It concerns me that one day Blogger could pull the plug on all of our blogs and then all that reflection, all that creativity, all that recording, all that personal history would disappear in an instant. After all this really happened to Panoramio - also hosted by Google.
ReplyDeleteCould happen, Google makes a little money on my blog.
DeleteDo you have copies of your blog that are not online? Like paper copies or maybe a thumb drive?
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a good week!
I don't have a backup.
DeleteI hadn't thought of my blog as a journal but it is in a way. Those two photographers were traveling around the U.S. at the same time as I was with my parents. I was just a little kid but I still have memories of family trips.
ReplyDelete1963-1965 my family did a couple of major cross country trips.
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