Invisible Presence
By Thor Rasmussen
23 Oct 2009
Downtown Greensboro, NC – For the past number of years there have been efforts to renovate the F.C. Woolworth Building in Greensboro, North Carolina, the site of the 1960 sit-ins that became a pivotal part of the civil rights movement in the United States. Now, with the funding complete, the construction has moved into full gear to transform the building into a civil rights museum.
On this particular day, I watched some construction workers put up large metal panels on the façade of the building. What struck me as most inserting was the amount of work it took to complete this task when, after the construction is finished, few people are likely to notice them. Nevertheless, the construction crew placed each piece with meticulous care as if each was the cornerstone.
Later in the day, as I continued taking pictures around the city, I realized each piece of each building could be thought of as a piece of art that belonged to someone during construction. Although railings on parking garages are not altogether glamorous and doors are relatively common, someone put them in the right places with purpose.
Next time you take a picture of a window or a gutter or maybe a doorway, think about how it got there and the hands that worked to make it happen.
1 response
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Torild Hoyland said (24 Oct 2009):
Great story/series!
"think about how it got there and the hands that worked to make it happen" - ...so true!
My vote.
Torild
