I do believe in an everyday sort of magic — the inexplicable connectedness we sometimes experience with places, people, works of art and the like; the eerie appropriateness of moments of synchronicity; the whispered voice, the hidden presence, when we think we’re alone.
Architecture can create layers of mystery and depth in human life by recalling the past. Photography enhances that romance beautifully.
This group of photos feature Seminary Hall at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Tahlequah is located in the western foothills of the Ozark Mountains, and is the capital of both the Cherokee Nation and the United Keetowah Band of Cherokee Indians. The city gained that distinction after the Cherokee were forced from their homelands to the east onto Indian Territory in Oklahoma during the infamous Trail of Tears, so the place has a bittersweet quality. I have Cherokee ancestors on my father’s side of the family.
I thought these particular photos captured a delightful ghostly mood and that they make an interesting set. I hope you enjoy them!
Mysteries, First Set: Seminary Hall, Northeastern State University
Image © Toursgallery used in accordance with Fair Use Policy
When a village or a city dies, nature takes over. One woman in Japan is attempting to memorialize her village and slow that process. The remote town of Nagoro only has 51 living human inhabitants, but there are over 150 life-sized dolls that call the village home. Mizuki Ayona makes the dolls in the form of residents that have died or moved away. They wait at the bus stop and in front of houses, even at the local school. It’s an eerie scene. You can read about it here.