Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/03/06

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Subject: [Leica] Digging deeper
From: drodgers at casefarms.com (David Rodgers)
Date: Tue Mar 6 10:11:04 2007

For the past several months I've been researching a polio outbreak that
occurred in the town where I now live. My interst began when I
photographed some capped mineral springs near my house. The springs were
thought to be therapeutic and many people with ailments came for
healing. There was a hotel, too, but it burned down years ago. 

My curiosity has me digging deeper. I was in Raleigh/Durham, NC last
week. (My son is thinking of transferring to UNC or NCSU next year.) I
did some research that led me to this URL for the Smithsonian about an
outbreak of polio in 1944. 

http://americanhistory.si.edu/polio/americanepi/medical.htm

If you scroll down and go to the next page you'll see a photograph of a
lumbar puncture being performed on a polio victim in Hickory, NC.
(Hickory is the town where I now live.) The photograph was taken by none
other than Alfred Eisenstadt. Is it safe to assume the photo was taken
with a Leica? 

What began as a rather boring photo of a capped mineral spring is taking
on a life. That to me is one of the joys of photography. Even boring
photographs can have meaning. You've just got to dig a little. 

BTW, for anyone interested, below is a link to a story about why I have
an appreciation for victims of disease -- polio in particular. I hope to
add some photos to it in the next day or so.
 
http://www.purplehen.com/polio_story/index.htm

Dave






Replies: Reply from ricc at mindspring.com (Ric Carter) ([Leica] Digging deeper)
In reply to: Message from lists at mcclary.net (Harrison McClary) ([Leica] IR Filters; Rain and Sun)